Owner keeps horse but not dog

YOUNGSTOWN — The owner of the loose miniature horse rounded up by police along with a black Labrador last Friday evening on the South Side has claimed the horse but no longer wants the dog, said Diane Less of Angels for Animals.

Less said the Clearmount Avenue man did not return the horse to his property because she pointed out to him that it is not zoned for such animals. She said the man told her he would take the animal to his sister’s farm in Jefferson County.

The dog, named Lucky, is now with Less and available for adoption. Those interested can call her at (330) 502-5352.

Last Friday, police spotted a dog leading the tiny horse down a Glenwood Avenue sidewalk. They followed the animals east on Mistletoe Avenue, south on Firnley Avenue to Midlothian Boulevard and on through some backyards.

The animals were corralled by police in a fenced-in back yard. Dave Nelson, deputy Mahoning County dog warden arrived but had no way to transport the horse.

Matt Ditchey of Angels for Animals arrived but he, too, had no way to get the horse to his Green Township farm. Officers using an old K-9 cruiser with no back seat to patrol the East Side were called to take both horse and dog to the farm.

Less, meanwhile, is also in possession of a cat she’s calling Smoky who survived a fire on the East Side that killed six people last month. Smoky, too, is up for adoption, with one possible new home if things work out.