The mother, father and two pups, believed to be Cane Corsos, were found in the filthy pen outside a home on the Bailey Road in Yeadon, Pa.
NBC10 was the only news station there as Delaware County Animal Control officers served a search warrant to remove the animals from the miserable conditions.
According to Animal Control Officer Lisa Stewart the dogs were outside since last Friday.
"That's when we got the first complaint from the police stating they were out here. We did the follow-up. Posted notices, unfortunately nobody responded."
The dogs could have died if they remained outside another day or two.
Animal control said the owner is somewhere in Georgia and allegedly left a friend in charge of his dogs. Once the owner is found he could face animal cruelty charges.
"These dogs are starving," Stewart said. "They lunged at all the food we gave them. That means only one thing they haven't eaten in days."
Neighbor Alice Honeywell is glad to finally see the dogs go. She says back in July the older Cane Corsos attacked her and her dog.
"Tried to kill me, no question, mangled my leg, I'm still being treated for it [six months later]," said neighbor Alice Honeywell. "And my dog almost died."
Animal Control officers tranquilized the older dogs to keep them calm. After about two hours, all four were finally removed from the muddy mess and put in good hands at the Delaware County SPCA -- it's not clear what their future will be.
"I feel sorry for them," Stewart said "They could have had a better life."
(nbcphiladelphia - Dec 28, 2012)
June 2013 update to story: Details are odd. The most recent article says that authorities executed a warrant and removed two Cane Corsos from this same property, again being abused. Are these the same dogs? Did the owner ever get charged for cruelty for these starving dogs? Did he just go buy more Cane Corsos to breed them again? -- "'Very aggressive' Cane Corsos, cat removed from squalor by officials"
