An Iowa woman charged with debarking dogs in Lancaster County was taken into custody Friday afternoon.
Denise L. Felling, 55, was arrested by the Iowa County Sheriff’s Office about 4 p.m.
Felling is expected to be extradited to Lancaster County in coming days to face eight felony counts of animal cruelty.
Pennsylvania SPCA Officer Jennifer Nields charged Felling with debarking four dogs in Lancaster County: a husky, a Doberman, a beagle mix and a Spaniel mix.
The Lancaster County District Attorney’s Office assisted in the case. Assistant District Attorney Trista Boyd approved the charges.
Felling debarked the dogs by shoving a rod-like object into the dogs’ vocal chambers. The manner of how she did the debarking procedures is illegal.
Felling - who formerly had a veterinarian license in Iowa (it was since revoked), but never obtained one in Pennsylvania - represented herself as a vet to a Lancaster County woman who owned the four dogs.
The debarkings were done in Quarryville and Kinzers.
Felling is presumed innocent.
MEDIA CONTACT: Brett A. Hambright, 717-295-2041; bhambright@co.lancaster.pa.us; Twitter: @BrettHambright