Mifflinburg dog breeders face 111 animal cruelty, kennel charges

The next Union County Court dates will push the Bella Vita kennel case from seizure to courtroom, with Giuseppe Mazzamuto, 42, and Jennifer Tracy Zerbe, 52, each facing 111 offenses tied to alleged animal cruelty and an illegal kennel operation on Old Turnpike Road in Mifflinburg. Their pre-trial conferences are scheduled for July 14 at 9 a.m., and an omnibus motion hearing is set for Oct. 6 at 1 p.m.

The case reaches beyond one property because it touches the rules that govern who can breed, house and sell dogs in Pennsylvania. State law requires a kennel license for any establishment that keeps or transfers at least 26 dogs in a calendar year, or for any boarding kennel, and dogs and cats 3 months of age or older must have a current rabies vaccination. The Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture’s Bureau of Dog Law Enforcement is charged with protecting dogs and puppies in kennels by enforcing those standards.

The criminal case grew out of a Dec. 18, 2025, search warrant executed by the Pennsylvania SPCA at Bella Vita Show Dog Kennel after a referral from the Bureau of Dog Law Enforcement. Investigators removed 39 animals from the Old Turnpike Road property, including dogs, cats and goats, and said several dogs were underweight and suffering untreated medical conditions. Reports said nearly 90 dogs were housed on the property, a number that would exceed the state threshold for operating without a kennel license. The PSPCA described the scene as “neglect on a massive scale.”

For buyers and breeders in Union County, the records that matter most are the kennel license, proof of current rabies vaccinations and veterinary care documentation. The December reports said the investigation began with concerns about a lack of veterinary care, raising questions about whether inspection and enforcement caught the alleged problems early enough. If the charges advance, the hearings in Union County Court could determine what evidence stays in the case, whether parts of it are narrowed or dismissed, and how broad the prosecution’s claims remain.

Bella Vita’s public reputation made the allegations more striking. Local coverage said the kennel had produced dogs that won at the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show, adding reputational fallout to the legal exposure now facing Mazzamuto and Zerbe. The animals removed from the kennel were placed under PSPCA care for treatment and rehabilitation before adoption, while the case moved deeper into Pennsylvania’s dog-law system.