Campbell case of dog found dead, starved, frozen ready for trial

CAMPBELL

An animal cruelty case, involving an emaciated dog found dead and frozen last January, is slated to go to trial.

At a status hearing Friday, Prosecutor Brian Macala and defense attorney James E. Lanzo said they had not reached a resolution in the case and were prepared to go trial.

Judge Patrick Cunning asked for a trial date to be set within 60 days.

Tameka Smith, 24, is charged with animal cruelty, a second-degree misdemeanor.

Police charged Smith after responding to a Jan. 13, 2015 call from a Hubbard man who said he found a dead dog in the rear yard of a Reed Avenue home. The man told police he used to live there and was returning to retrieve his property.

A police report states the deceased dog was tied up, partially inside a doghouse and partially outside, and “severely underweight.” There were no food or water bowls near the dog, the report states.

Lanzo said his client was not responsible for the dog.

Read more about the case in Saturday's Vindicator or on Vindy.com.