Rockville Couple Charged with Ten Counts of Animal Cruelty

A Rockville couple, who operate the Alpha Group Animal Rescue (AGAR), have been charged with ten misdemeanor counts of animal cruelty, according to officers with the Montgomery County Animal Services Division.

Investigators said that Animal Services officers executed a search and seizure warrant on the Grandby Road home of Merle and Susan Uskeivich on July 27th. Officers found two dogs and 28 cats in the home and nine chickens in crates outside.  All the cats and dogs were infested with fleas and five of the birds were underweight.

The Uskievich case comes less than a month after Katherine Ting Tiong was sentenced to six months in jail for keeping 66 dogs in her home in deplorable conditions. Tiong claimed that she was running a dog rescue called Forever Homes Animal Rescue, Inc.

“Rescue organizations play such an important role in placing lost, abandoned and unwanted animals; however, situations like this one, as we saw with Tiong, serve as a ” black eye” to those rescues committed to doing what’s best for the animals in their care,” said Tom Koenig, Director of Montgomery County Animal Services and Adoption Center.

Investigators are asking animal welfare groups who are currently transferring animals to Alpha Group Animal Rescue or the Uskievich’s to contact the Montgomery County Animal Services and Adoption Center at 240.773.5900, ext. 7.

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