Since late last year, Trumbull County has had a second humane society to investigate animal-cruelty complaints.

By Ed Runyan | March 29, 2016 at 12:05a.m.

WARREN

An investigation last week by the Trumbull County Sheriff’s Office and Greg Miller of Niles, president and humane officer for the new Trumbull Animal Cruelty Taskforce, made the public aware of the group.

Miller said the organizers of TACT, a nonprofit corporation, took the steps outlined in the Ohio Revised Code to become a humane society, and Trumbull County Probate Judge James Fredericka administered Miller the oath of office to become a humane officer.

The court confirmed that it reviewed materials the organization presented and affirmed that the organization had complied with the requirements. Miller took the oath Nov. 17, 2015, the court said.

As a humane society, TACT can operate anywhere in Trumbull County, and Miller can cite individuals under the state’s animal-cruelty law, he said. The organization works with an Akron attorney who can prosecute cases for TACT, Miller said.

Miller has worked with several animal-rescue organizations and the Trumbull County Dog Pound over the past five years, he said. When he finds a case of animal cruelty, he works with rescue organizations such as Paw Platoon and Animal Pawtection to have the animal adopted, he said. The group has no shelter.

He’s been busy investigating animal-cruelty complaints, he said.

The county’s longtime humane society is the Animal Welfare League of Trumbull County, which opened its new facility on Youngstown-Kingsville Road in Vienna in 2014 and invested extensively to make it state-of-the-art.

Miller worked with Detective Jolene Marcello to investigate the discovery of about 10 dead dogs and puppies in a wooded lot on 8th Street in Warren Township. They made their investigation public late last week.

Marcello said they are investigating the discovery of dogs and dog bones as a possible animal-cruelty case because two of the dogs, both of which were wearing collars, were emaciated.

Anyone with information on the case is asked to call Marcello at 330-675-4039 or Miller at 330-501-7536.