Hereford woman cited for failing to control dogs

            Matt Tomlin was half-awake when he heard the loud barking. As soon as he walked outside, he saw a dead goat in a pen on his Hereford property.

            Late last month, Tomlin claims to have observed three dogs circling an elevated platform where two remaining goats, purchased eight years ago for his daughter, escaped to.

            On Tuesday, the state police in Reading charged Christine Wiedecke, 61, of Seisholtzville Road, for her role in the March 26 incident in the township. The agency cited her for harboring dangerous dogs that kill or injure animals.

            That evening, residents packed the township's board of supervisors to express their concerns regarding the impact of the dogs, and Wiedecke's conduct, on the community. They have been a nuisance for the last two years, according to Tomlin, a Kriebel Road resident.

            "It's been a big problem for a long time," he said.

            Tomlin, who lives on a five-acre property, claims his wife is afraid to walk the family's two dogs by herself. He said his daughter scans the surrounding hills with binoculars before going outside.

            "My kids are afraid to go outside," Tomlin said.

            Wiedecke has received 10 similar citations from the state police in the last 12 months in the court of Boyertown District Judge F. Richard Drumheller. Last week, West Reading District Judge Eric Taylor found her guilty in four separate summary trials on multiple charges that include failure to contain dogs, possession of dangerous dogs and a failure to obtain dog licenses from incidents between March 14, 2025 and Sept. 21, 2025.  The defendant did not attend any of the hearings on April 1, according to information posted on a state judicial website.

            When Tomlin heard the commotion around 5:15 a.m., he said he suspected a coyote to be the cause. However, he saw the dogs and a black pedigree Nigerian dwarf goat on the ground. He claims the dog burrowed under the fence to get to the goats.

            Tomlin provided troopers with photographs and video of the dogs, a Pomeranian Husky mix breed, inside the cage. The resident estimated the value of the goat at $250. He also referenced the expected cost of veterinary checkups for the other two goals, according to a public information release report.

            The state police informed Troy Lipp, the Berks County dog warden, of the incident. He declined comment on Tuesday.

            Later that day, Supervisor Albert Ciccarone informed an overflow audience that the municipality lacks the legal authority to take meaningful action. He said the board lacks the enforcement mechanism to rectify the situation.

            State Rep. Dave Maloney, R-130th Dist., offered his help. He volunteered to make any phone calls requested by the residents to help accelerate a solution.

            "I do think a conversation with the neighbor would be useful," said Maloney, who attended to the meeting to present awards to members of the Hereford Fire Company.

             "But there are violations that may be pursued."