STRUTHERS Woman gets jail time for neglecting animals

Police said one dog had chewed through a metal can to eat what was inside.
STRUTHERS -- A 48-year-old city woman was sentenced Friday to 180 days in jail after Struthers Municipal Court Judge James R. Lanzo found her guilty of six counts of neglecting companion animals.
Kathleen E. Skaleris, of Sexton Street, was arrested in September after police found eight dogs without adequate food or water locked inside the home she rents. Four of the dogs were confined to the basement, one was locked in an upper-level bedroom and one had chewed through a metal can to eat what was inside, police reported.
Skaleris also was ordered to pay $600 in fines and about $500 in court fees, court personnel said. She is required to complete a one-year reporting probation upon her release from jail.
Plea deal
One count each of noxious odor and failing to maintain the exterior of her property were dismissed in exchange for Skaleris' plea of no contest to the six neglect charges. A no-contest plea is not an admission of guilt but means the defendant will offer no defense. It is handled much the same as a guilty plea by the court.
After the September investigation, officers said excrement was found throughout the home and they were forced to wear masks because of the stench, both inside and out. One officer who entered the home said she received flea bites on her face.
Officers and a county humane agent went to the home after a neighbor complained of excessive barking.
Two girls, 12 and 15, also lived in the home, police reported.
One of the eight dogs was returned to its rightful owner days after the initial investigation, when the owner called police after watching television news broadcasts that showed some of the animals. The owner told investigators the animal had been missing for weeks.