State v. Benny Craft, a case we prosecuted which was investigated by the Ashland County Sheriff and the Ohio Department of Agriculture, with assistance from the Humane Society of Ashland County Ohio Craft was found guilty after a jury trial of cockfighting, two counts of animal cruelty and one count of possession of criminal tools.…
State v. David Taylor a case we prosecuted for the Lake Humane Society resulting in a lifetime ban from keeping companion animals. Taylor was convicted in the Willoughby Municipal Court of 9 counts of companion animal cruelty after trial for neglecting his three dogs, who were kept in a cluttered, dirty yard full of debris,…
State v. Sandra Rae Paul, a case we prosecuted for the Loudonville Police, with help from the Humane Society of Ashland County Ohio, was ound guilty of animal cruelty yesterday, and taken to jail. The evidence showed that the chickens were left in the van for at least 7.5 hours on a day when temperatures…
State v. Sofia Applegate, a case we prosecuted for the Geauga County Humane Society. Applegate pled guilty today to one count of animal cruelty for neglecting to provided adequate food and water for three horses. One died on the scene. The others were not able to be rehabilitated despite the best efforts of the Humane…
A New Category–The FBI Defines Animal Cruelty as a “Felony” Animal cruelty has long been categorized as a “general” crime by the FBI. The FBI, like Ohio’s Bureau of Criminal Identification and Investigation (Ohio BCI) collects crime reports and organizes them by category. These reports come directly from law enforcement or courts post-conviction; they are…
ANIMAL LEGISLATION UPDATE: HB 198, which abolishes Ohio Humane Societies’ ability to appoint prosecutors to prosecute crimes against animals, was introduced in the Ohio House on 5/11/15. This is the first legislative effort to REDUCE a Humane Society’s ability to protect animals. Primary Sponsors: Reps. Steve Hambley (R-69) and Greta Johnson (D-35) Summary: To repeal…
State v. Michael Johnson, a case we prosecuted at the request of the Ashland County Humane Society, investigated by Ashland County Dog Warden, Tom Kosht. Johnson was found guilty of two counts of companion animal cruelty for abandoning two dogs in a home without adequate food or water. One died of starvation. The other was…
State v. Melody and Edward McDonald; cases we prosecuted for the Cleveland Animal Protective League. Both will serve jail time. The Defendants, husband and wife, were each found guilty of keeping three dogs in filthy conditions. The floors of the residence were caked with animal fecal matter and debris. The house smelled extremely foul. After…
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…
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. …