A Jeannette woman is charged with aggravated cruelty to animals and three counts of endangering the welfare of children after authorities reported finding the children and a dog in what they described as deplorable living conditions at the woman’s Bullitt Avenue home.

Jeannette police, humane officers and animal control officers responded to the rental home of Terry Harmon, 44, with a search warrant Thursday after children living there revealed the presence of a dead dog.

Police said they discovered the dog, covered with maggots, in a cardboard box on the porch.

Another dog that appeared to be emaciated was found inside the home with Harmon and was taken away by authorities.

All children who were said to be living in the home were placed in the care of another adult, police said.

Police described a”pungent odor emanating from the property.” They said the home was flea-infested and that a portion of the ceiling had fallen onto the floor.

Trash was scattered inside the children’s bedrooms, according to police.

They said all of the responding officers and a patrol car had to be decontaminated because of the fleas.

After the animals had been removed, an overwhelming odor remained as Jeannette firefighters arrived to assess the condition of the home, according to Fire Chief Bill Frye.

“It was posted as unfit for human occupancy,” Frye said. “We contacted the owner to advise them and have them start remediation as soon as possible.”

Frye said the odor and the fleas were apparent even outside the house.

“Our firemen had to go back to the station and decontaminate everything,” he said.

Harmon was arraigned Friday before District Judge Joseph R. DeMarchis and was placed in the Westmoreland County jail after failing to post a $10,000 percentage bond. She faces a preliminary hearing Sept. 4.

Details weren’t available concerning the status and condition of the dog that was removed from the Jeannette home.

According to online records, several humane society police officers in Westmoreland County are associated with All But Furgotten, a nonprofit animal rescue group in Irwin.

A spokesperson said the group couldn’t comment on the Jeannette case because it remains an active investigation.

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