John C. Tanis III, 64, 816 Main St., will be formally arraigned on April 12.
On Oct. 20, Moosic police noticed a very skinny Weimaraner meandering around a parking lot near the Police Department. The dog, whose bones were highly visible, was taken to Griffin Pond Animal Shelter in South Abington Twp.
By checking a rabies tag on the dog's collar, police determined it belonged to Mr. Tanis. Medical tests showed it suffered from several parasites.
"The dog's poor condition could have been prevented with proper care and sustenance," the affidavit said.
On Oct. 31, Moosic police found four thin Weimaraners at Mr. Tanis' home after they received reports of neglected dogs at that location. Mr. Tanis told police he feared his dogs were being poisoned in order to make him look like a bad care provider.
On Nov. 2, police took pictures of the dogs to the Veterinary Referral and Emergency Center, 318 Northern Blvd., South Abington Twp. Veterinarian Sara McGarry wrote that the dogs appeared to be emaciated. Mr. Tanis was charged with four counts of animal cruelty.
Mr. Tanis still has dogs at his home, though he disagreed any are in unusually poor condition.
"If these charges were real, wouldn't you come back with a search warrant and seize these other dogs and test them?" Mr. Tanis asked. "They never did! Why not? Because they just wanted to harass me with these unfounded complaints that they have no chance whatsoever to succeed on."
He also claimed the dogs belong to the church that he is a minister with, he said.
Mr. Tanis' arrest record includes more than 300 prior weapons and animal cruelty charges. In 2007, he was sentenced to serve five years in prison after pleading guilty in federal court to being a felon in possession of guns. In that case, investigators seized more than 150 guns belonging to Mr. Tanis, including one complete, operational 1928 Thompson submachine gun.
Federal Bureau of Prison records indicate that he was released from prison on Aug. 19, 2011.
(Times Tribune - February 23, 2013)
