School bus of horrors: Police find bus packed with neglected animals near New Oxford
Dozens of animals were rescued from inside a school bus and trailer that had become disabled along the side of the road in Adams County, according to a release by the Adams County SPCA and police officials.
Police stumbled upon the scene inside the privately owned school bus after being called for a disabled bus near the intersection of Hanover Road and Red Hill Road in Oxford Township on Saturday, June 15, said Eastern Adams Regional Police Department Chief Francis Staab.
When officers arrived, inside the bus, as well as in a trailer that it had been pulling, they would find dozens of animals in various states of neglect, according to a release from the Adams County SPCA, which responded to the scene.
"To say that this was a horrible situation is an understatement," said the SPCA in the release. Photos of the inside of the bus and trailer show deplorable conditions, with filth covering the animals and the contents of the bus.
The male occupant of the bus, Shawn Hirschbine, 50, of Orchard Park, New York, was arrested on outstanding warrants related to child pornography originating from the state of West Virginia, said Staab.
The animals inside included over 30 birds consisting of chickens, roosters, ducks and turkeys, as well as four dogs, one bull, and one pony, the SPCA said.
The birds were being fed to the dogs, the SPCA said in the release. The bull and pony were allegedly being used for bestiality purposes in "another state," per the SPCA. Staab said that it is not yet clear if that crime occurred within Eastern Adams' jurisdiction, but that an investigation is underway.
A female friend of Hirschbine, who was also with the bus, was not arrested and has not been charged.
The incident and conditions found inside the bus are under investigation by Eastern Adams Regional Police and the Adams County SPCA, Staab said.
Due to the bus being on private property, Eastern Adams police are awaiting contact with the property owner in order to tow the bus and trailer from the location, Staab said.
Filth remained visible around the doors and windows of the bus on Monday morning, as the bus sat vacant along the roadway. An empty cage was seen, with two nitrile gloves inside, a short distance from the bus.
The bus bears a Georgia license plate, and the trailer bears a Florida license plate. A number, on the side of the bus and trailer, tells people to call a number associated with Hirschbine for "24 hour tires + shows."
The incident does not appear to be the first time that Hirschbine has been caught neglecting animals.
In August of 2022, in Orchard Park, New York, the SPCA of Erie County, New York, was called for a near-identical situation.
When Orchard Park police arrived on the scene of a private vehicle pulling the same trailer that was found in Oxford Township on Saturday, they would find two sheep, a cow, and a horse in "deplorable conditions" inside.
In that instance, when police and the SPCA came to seize the animals, Hirschbine allegedly began physically resisting officers, and was placed under arrest.
The incident has left the Adams County SPCA closed as it deals with the mass influx of animals in dire need of assistance, and donations can be directed to the Adams County SPCA on their website to assist with the animals.
At the moment, the animals are not yet available for adoption, the SPCA said, as they are provided medical care.
This article originally appeared on Hanover Evening Sun: Police find bus packed with neglected animals near New Oxford
