Owner of 11 euthanized dogs faces charges

The dogs were so hungry that they tried to eat each other, the humane agent said.

By WILL HANLON

VINDICATOR STAFF WRITER

YOUNGSTOWN — Charges are expected to be filed Monday against a Dearborn Avenue man who authorities say kept 11 dogs malnourished in his South Side home.

The dogs had to be put down once they were brought to Animal Charity.

John Hall, a Humane Society humane agent, was notified Friday morning by an anonymous caller that there had been two dogs tied separately outside a run-down home that didn’t have any running water.

When Hall arrived, he saw that the two dogs were malnourished, nearly skeletal. He noted the poor condition of the house, saying there were holes in the walls instead of windows.

When he saw numerous children coming in and out of the house, he alerted county Children Services along with the police.

Hall then loaded the two dogs inside his van in separate cages.

Inside the van

While they were tied in the yard they had been separated. But when they were put so close to each other inside the van, they “started breaking through the cages trying to get to each other,” Hall said. “The dogs were so hungry they were literally trying to eat each other.”

Hall said he then used Mace to help subdue the dogs.

After controlling the situation inside the van, Hall asked the resident if there were any more dogs inside, to which the owner replied no.

Hall informed the owner that a search warrant would most likely be issued. The owner then complied and handed over nine more dogs, which also appeared malnourished, Hall said.

The dogs were taken back to Animal Charity by Hall, where all 11 were euthanized later that day.

“They were far too gone,” Hall said. “There was nothing we could have possibly done.”

Hall said he will be filing a report Monday morning for 11 cases of animal cruelty against the resident. According to Hall, animal cruelty in Youngstown is a misdemeanor of the second degree, which could result in up to an $800 fine or eight months in jail for each individual count.