Kennel owner faces animal neglect charges

A kennel owner notorious for neglecting animals is facing new charges related to a raid that took place earlier this year.

SPCA humane officers said they seized two dogs and two cats from a property owned by Derbe ‘Skip’ Eckhart during an investigation on Jan. 25.

Eckhart is currently awaiting trial on animal neglect charges from 2017 and has been accused of neglect several times since the mid-80s.

There were a total of 27 dogs present on the property at the time of the Jan. 25 raid. Two belonging to Eckhart were determined to have medical issues that required emergency treatment.

One of the animals seized was a gray/white adult cat and was found to have an upper respiratory infection. Eckhart said it was an indoor-outdoor cat that he had owned for about a year. The other cat was a gray/white ragdoll which had a severe ear infection.

One of the dogs seized was an adult German Shepherd which was in thin condition, had diahrrea and suffered from an ear infection Eckhart said he owned the dog for several months.

The other was a great dane which was thin to the point that its ribs were showing. Eckhart said the dog was three years old and he had owned it for about a year.

A brown/white doodle mix dog was found to be abnormally thin, but Eckhart said it belonged to a resident of the property.

The humane officer filed one count of misdemeanor neglect for the ragdoll cat and three summary counts of depriving an animal of necessary care.

A preliminary hearing on the charges was set for July 19 before Magisterial District Judge Tom Clair Creighton in Slatington.

Eckhart is currently awating trial on charges that he attempted to intimidate an assault victim to recant testimony against her attacker. He is also awaiting trial on neglect charges from a May 2017 raid.