Dog rescued after cruelty complaint

YOUNGSTOWN — A dog inside a muddy feces filled pen in the rear yard of 1510 Clay St. with a frozen chain around his neck so tight that it was cutting into his throat was rescued Thursday afternoon when police checked out a complaint of animal cruelty.

The dog was taken to Animal Charity on South Avenue. Humane agents then provided dry food for five other dogs police said were at the abandoned house that has been red-tagged as uninhabitable.

Police, a deputy dog warden and humane agents then went to an address on Uber Street to speak to a person they believe owns the dogs. The man said the dogs are registered to his wife, who is sick, and he last visited the dogs to feed them on Monday or Tuesday. He was told to remove the dogs from the house by Friday and began to do so, police said.

At 1147 Clay St. on Thursday, meanwhile, police found four dogs in the yard with no food or water in frigid conditions. One dog was eating its own feces. All were being held by heavy frozen chains.

The animals were seized for their safety by the dog warden for transport to Animal Charity, reports show. Police have a suspect.