Man hits dog, Girard police report

Staff report

GIRARD

Man Hits Dog

Video

Police charged John Giordano of Girard on Tuesday after multiple people reported a video in which it appears that a man is beating a dog.

It may not be a case of man bites dog, but it does seem to be a case of man hits dog.

John Giordano, 51, of Girard pleaded not guilty to a misdemeanor charge of animal cruelty during his arraignment Wednesday in municipal court.

His next court appearance will be at 1:30 p.m. April 27 for a pretrial hearing. He is free on a personal recognizance bond.

Police charged Giordano on Tuesday after multiple people reported a video in which it appears that a man is beating a dog on North St. Clair Street, Capt. John Norman said.

In the video, a man appears to strike a dog multiple times, hit it with his knee and choke it.

Girard resident Bev Spicer was one of several people who alerted police to the short video, which had gained attention on social media. One of Giordano’s neighbors shot the footage, Spicer said.

“As many times as I’ve seen the video, I still can’t believe a human being would do that to an animal,” Spicer said.

Giordano surrendered the dog to the Animal Welfare League of Trumbull County.

Spicer, a member of animal-rights group Nitro’s Ohio Army, said she was pleased with the response from Girard police and hopes Giordano will eventually be sentenced to jail time.

She added she supports stiffer criminal penalties for animal neglect and abuse.