Mt. Pleasant Township man pleads guilty to starving dogs

A Mt. Pleasant Township man was ordered to serve up to 23 months in jail for starving three dogs at a rental home in 2020.

Howard Wayne McCloy, 36, pleaded guilty this week to three felony counts of aggravated animal cruelty. Police say one adult dog and two puppies were found dead and partially decomposed in an upstairs bedroom of the Bridgeport Street home.

Westmoreland County District Attorney Nicole Ziccarelli said McCloy fastened plywood over a hole the dogs chewed through the door and left them to starve to death. Two other malnourished dogs were found alive, locked in crates filled with urine and feces and have since recovered and been adopted, Ziccarelli said.

According to court records, police were called to the house by the landlord, who evicted McCloy from the property.

Common Pleas Court Judge Scott Mears sentenced McCloy to serve at least nine months in jail and barred him from possessing or owning any animals for seven years. Six misdemeanor counts of neglecting animals were dismissed as part of the plea bargain.

According to court records, McCloy earlier this month pleaded guilty possessing drug-free urine to be used to pass a court-ordered drug test.

He has two other criminal cases pending, including allegations that he drove with a suspended license and an unrelated incident in which he was accused of weapons offenses. In that case, police said McCloy illegally possessed multiple firearms and ammunition.

Authorities said McCloy was barred from having weapons because of a federal conviction for importing and selling fireworks a decade earlier.