BETHEL TWP., Pa. – Two people have been arrested and charged with animal cruelty after five dogs were abandoned in Bethel Township last week.
On Friday, March 13, police received a 911 call from 39‑year‑old Daniel Vasquez, who claimed he was a passerby who spotted abandoned dogs near the 70 block of Court Street, according to a press release from the Bethel Township Police Department.
When police arrived, they found four dogs running loose just a few hundred feet from Interstate 78. A fifth dog was tied to a No Parking sign. Police say all of the dogs appeared to be poorly cared for.
The officer on scene managed to secure three of the dogs until around 4 a.m. Unfortunately, the remaining two ran off and were later struck and killed by vehicles on I‑78, the release says.
Officers say with help from the public, the surviving three dogs were safely picked up and temporarily cared for before being transported to the Animal Rescue League of Berks County, which assisted in the investigation.
Investigators say location data from Vasquez’s 911 call placed him at the scene, contradicting his claim of being a passerby. Members of the public also reported two abandoned dog crates along State Route 419 in Marion Township, which were later confirmed to have held the dogs before they were dumped.
Additional tips identified the dogs’ owner as Emilee Cybart, who had been attempting to re-home the dogs. Police say Cybart had recently lost her home and had been staying in a motel before being evicted. Surveillance footage from the motel shows Vasquez and Cybart loading dogs into crates and placing them in a white cargo van.
Police also obtained surveillance video from locations near the dumping site, including footage of a white cargo van traveling eastbound on the 4600 block of Penn Avenue in Lower Heidelberg Township around 1:09 a.m.—not far from Vasquez’s home, according to officials.
Officers say both Vasquez and Cybart gave voluntary statements to police on Saturday, March 14, but investigators determined the statements were false.
On Tuesday, March 17, Bethel Township Police obtained arrest warrants for both suspects. They were taken into custody around 5 p.m. the same day and are awaiting arraignment, police say.
According to the release, the charges include felony aggravated cruelty to animals, misdemeanor cruelty to animals, misdemeanor neglect of animals, and misdemeanor unsworn falsification to authorities. Cybart also faces charges for owning unlicensed dogs and failing to vaccinate them against rabies.