December
9, 2005
A
horrifying
case of animal cruelty in Toledo. A central Toledo man is facing
charges tonight after his dog literally froze to death. The owner
told investigators the dog was fine when he left it tied up outside
in single digit temperatures Tuesday afternoon but when he came
back four hours later it was dead.
Investigators
say one of the most upsetting parts of this story is that he left
the dog's body in the backyard for two days after it died.
After
an anonymous tip, cruelty investigators found the dog frozen solid
and chained to a pole in the owner's Vance Street backyard late
yesterday. The dog's owner has been charged with animal cruelty
a second degree misdemeanor. This means the owner could face a $750
fine and up to ninety days in prison. But some say Ohio's animal
cruelty laws don't have much bite and many owners get nothing more
than a slap on the wrist.
An
autopsy was done on the dog and according to the Humane Society
vet it was well fed and in good health. Exposure to the cold was
the cause of death.
You
can report cases of animal cruelty anonymously. The Toledo area
Humane Society investigates about 1800 cruelty cases every year.
They also find new homes for about 3000 cats and dogs every year.
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