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Rootstown, Ohio woman found guilty of 11 counts of animal neglect

State v. Danette Kerr, a case we prosecuted for the Portage County APL was resolved today. 112 animals were seized from Kerr’s property on July 22, 2014. 18 dogs and 3 cats exhibited signs of neglect including dehydration, emaciation, matted fur, severe dental disease and a variety of untreated conditions that caused suffering. 82 birds…

Seville, Ohio couple to serve jail time for starving dogs

State v. Augusta and Burdett Crandall; cases we prosecuted for the Medina County SPCA.  Both will serve jail time and are prohibited from keeping companion animals indefinitely. The Defendants, husband and wife, were each found guilty of companion animal cruelty for starving their dogs Thor and Loki (later renamed Abu and Andor). The Defendants were…

Wadsworth man convicted of throwing kitten against a truck.

Holidays notwithstanding, the work of bringing justice to abused animals goes on. State v. Eric Kresowaty is another case we are prosecuting for the Medina County SPCA. The Defendant pled guilty today to one count of companion animal cruelty for throwing a kitten against a parked truck. The Defendant’s four year old daughter was the…

Neglect of dog results in 48 days in jail for Medina man.

State v. Randall Rees, a case we prosecuted for the Medina County SPCA in the Medina Municipal Court. Defendant was convicted of companion animal neglect for failure to provide proper care of Kali, a 10 month old pit bull. Kali suffered from demodex mange and severe itching resulting in the loss of most of her fur.   …

Eastlake, Ohio residents convicted of animal neglect.

State v. Robert Fatica; State v. Laura Tamura. This is a case we prosecuted in the Willougby Municipal Court for the Lake Humane Society. Defendants Robert Fatica and Laura Tamura were found guilty of companion animal neglect for keeping 13 cats in their home in Eastlake, Ohio in filthy conditions. The animals were matted, suffering from…

Dog neglect conviction in Wadsworth, Ohio

State v. Lisa Laux, a case we prosecuted in the Wadsworth Municipal Court for the Medina County SPCA: Laux was convicted of companion animal neglect for allowing her 10 year old shitzu to become severely matted, especially around its eyes, with untreated eye infections which caused the animal to become blind. The dog was humanely euthanized…

Two guilty in dog severe starvation case in Wadsworth, Ohio

State v. Augusta and Burdett Crandall, cases we prosecuted for the Medina County SPCA.The Defendants were both found guilty this week of two counts of companion animal cruelty in one of the worst starvation cases we have seen. Sentencing will be scheduled at a later date in the Wadsworth Municipal Court.

Divorce and Separation: Who gets to keep the family pet?

Conflicts over a pet can be just as serious to divorcing spouses or separating couples as any other issue. Many couples consider their pet to be a family member or child and it can be difficult to come to a mutual agreement about which person should keep the pet. Unlike real children, for which specific…

How is Dissolution Different from Divorce in Ohio?

In the state of Ohio, you can end your marriage in one of two ways–divorce or dissolution. Divorce When parties cannot agree to resolve issues such as division of marital assets or debts, child custody/support, or spousal support (alimony), a divorce takes place. This process is adversarial. In order to obtain a divorce, one party…

Man convicted of possession of cockfighting birds, tools

State v. Filimon Medina, a case we prosecuted for the Medina County SPCA. Defendant was found guilty of two first degree misdemeanor charges for possession of criminal tools. The “criminal tools” were 29 roosters with their combs and waddles surgically removed, medications, vitamins, rooster boxing muffs and other items linking Mr. Medina to cockfighting.  Defendant…