A nonprofit animal shelter is trying to recover more than $147,436 it claims a Renfrew couple owes for caring for 50 dogs, cats, goats, pigs and ducks that were seized in April during a police investigation into the death of two German shepherds.

The Association for Needy and Neglected Animals, known as the ANNA Shelter, in Erie filed the suit last week in Common Pleas Court against Paul J. Frederick and Melissa Frederick to recover the $15-per-day cost of caring for the seized animals. The total was $147,436 as of Aug. 31, and the shelter also wants to be paid for the cost of future care of the animals, according to the suit.

State police initiated the investigation April 5 at 2:45 p.m., when a trooper was dispatched to a parking lot adjacent to the General Butler Vagabond Center on Whitestown Road in Butler Township, where a deputy county sheriff’s canine had located two dead German shepherds in separate garbage bags, according to an affidavit attached as an exhibit to the suit.

A township police officer called to the scene found both dogs had collars and had been implanted with microchips, which led police to the owners, the Fredericks, according to the affidavit.

Paul Frederick arrived at the scene and denied having knowledge about the dogs and denied having any missing dogs until the officer told him one of the dogs was registered to Melissa Frederick. Then, he said a dog died about a week ago and his son was supposed to bury it. The officer told him two dead dogs were found and asked him how they died, and Frederick said he did not know, according to the affidavit.

State police then went to the Fredericks’ home at 4:13 p.m. to conduct a welfare check on the remaining animals. Paul Frederick led troopers into the basement, where three dogs were found in separate crates.

At 5:45 p.m., troopers returned the Vagabonds and found the two German shepherds had been buried in shallow graves near where they initially were found. The dogs were taken to the ANNA Shelter for a necropsy, because they were underweight and had no external wounds, according to the affidavit.

On April 6, a veterinarian at the shelter told police both dogs died of starvation, and had no muscle mass, no fluids, no physical injuries, no spinal injuries and were about 30 pounds underweight, according to the affidavit.

Police obtained and executed a search warrant that day at the Fredericks’ home. Paul Frederick became agitated when he was told all animals at the home were going to be seized, and he told police certain animals were not leaving, according to the affidavit.

He didn’t comply when police instructed him to leave the home and resisted when police tried to physically remove him. Police said he was taken to the ground, placed in handcuffs and arrested, according to the affidavit.

Police seized the 50 animals and turned them over to the ANNA Shelter for care, according to the suit.

Police filed 66 charges against Paul Frederick. He was held for court on the charges at an April 17 preliminary hearing by District Judge Amy Marcinkiewicz and the charges are pending in Common Pleas Court.

The charges are two felony counts of aggravated cruelty to animals; misdemeanor charges of obstruction of administration of law, resisting arrest and seven counts of neglect of animals; and 55 summary neglect of animals charges.

The Fredericks could not be reached for comment Monday.