Westmoreland County Park Police cited three people Tuesday with animal cruelty-related charges, saying they abandoned two pet ferrets at Twin Lakes Park in Hempfield, according to court records.
Sonia Hermann, 40, of Delmont and Danette Hermann and Jesse Lucas, both, 21, of Little River, S.C., were cited for animal cruelty and animal neglect via mailed summons filed before Youngwood District Judge Scott Fanchalsky.
The investigation began in mid-December when officers patrolling the county park found a “malnourished” sable ferret roaming around. It took two days to capture the animal. Police also found the remains of a white ferret along a nearby road after it was struck by a vehicle, said county parks police Chief Henry Fontana.
“When we captured the one ferret, we posted a picture of it on Facebook and received a number of tips,” said Fontana, who credited Cpl. Charles Dyche with the investigation.
Fontana said the ferrets were domesticated pets and had been abandoned.
“It’s a shame, too, because from the reaction we received after (the Facebook) post, there’s a lot of people out there who would have adopted them,” Fontana said.
The malnourished ferret was treated by an area veterinarian and then placed in a foster home, according to the park police.
The younger Hermann and Lucas recently lived in the Mt. Pleasant area, according to court documents.
Neither the Hermanns, who are related, or Lucas could be reached for comment. They did not have attorneys listed in court dockets.
Hearings on the citations are tentatively scheduled Feb. 16.
