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Case #12276 Rating: 2.3 out of 5
Dog severely neglected, infested with maggots Hamilton, OH (US)Incident Date: Tuesday, Sep 11, 2007 County: Butler
Charges: Misdemeanor Disposition: Convicted
Defendant/Suspect: Glenn A. Ballard
Case Updates: 1 update(s) available
A St. Clair Twp. man has been charged with animal cruelty after allegedly neglecting a little dog whose fur became maggot-infested and so matted it could barely walk.
Glenn Ballard, of the first block of Meadow Drive in the Sharon Park neighborhood, was arrested Tuesday on the second-degree misdemeanor charge when Julie Holmes, acting chief county dog warden, went to his residence to follow up on a previous complaint involving a Pomeranian dog.
Ballard had been cited by Holmes with having a dog running at large and was warned about the dog's condition, according to the Butler County Sheriff's Office report.
Instead, Ballard dropped the dog off at Animal Friends Humane Society in Trenton claiming it was a stray, according to the report.
Leland Gordon, humane society director, said the dog was severely matted with feces and a dryer sheet was embedded in the matts. Hundreds of maggots were in the fur.
"This dog was being eaten alive from the inside out by maggots," Gordon said in a prepared news release.
Because of the dog's horrible condition, it was humanely euthanized, according to Gordon.
According to the sheriff's report, Ballard told Holmes and a deputy that he didn't know the dog was in bad condition, but "never really checked the dog, he just fed it."
Ballard was arraigned in Hamilton Municipal Court Wednesday where a court date was set for 8 a.m. Sept. 19.
Case UpdatesA St. Clair Twp. man accused of animal cruelty was found guilty Tuesday and sentenced to two years community control.
Glenn Ballard, of the first block of Meadow Drive in the Sharon Park neighborhood, was arrested in September after dropping off a Pomeranian at the Animal Friends Humane Society. The dog had severely matted fur with feces and maggots in its sores. It was euthanized.
Ballard and his lawyer claimed that the dog was a stray and the dog's injuries would not have been noticed by the average person. However, the prosecution countered that Ballard had kept and fed the dog since 2005.
Ballard took the stand to plead his case. However, Hamilton Municipal Court Judge John Rosmarin said that Ballard contradicted himself.
"His testimony is incredible," Rosmarin said. "Maybe it's not intentional, but he told about four different stories."
Rosmarin sentenced Ballard to a $100 fine plus court costs and two years of community control, a sentence similar to probation. Taking in to account that Ballard had suffered a head injury several years ago, Rosmarin suspended a 30-day jail sentence.
"For the next two years, I don't think you need to have an animal," he said. | Source: Journal-News - Dec 19, 2007 Update posted on Dec 18, 2007 - 11:45PM |
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