Police have discovered a gruesome scene in a Quincy apartment several decomposed dogs were found in the apartment about Stinger's bar. They arrested a man who's been in trouble before for letting his dogs run wild in a Quincy subdivision.
A citizens tip led Quincy police to this apartment at 536 1/2 Washington Street, the apartment above Stinger's bar. Inside was a grisly scene.
Dave Senior, Quincy Deputy Chief: "They had been dead for quite a long time. Enough for the bodies of the animals to have deteroriated that it's not immediately apparent how many dogs there were."
Police arrested the owner of the building, 31 year old Michael B. Ryan of Quincy and charged him with aggravated cruelty to an animal. The Adams County Animal Warden Tom Grimes says he dealt with Ryan several times in the past. Grimes says at one time Ryan had 15 aggressive Rottweilers at his home on South 36th street.
Grimes says all the neighbors in the area were frightened of the dogs who kept leaping over the four foot fence. The county filed a civil suit against Ryan.
Barney Bier, Adams Co States Attorney: "He had several dogs that were getting out of his yard and for lack of a better term terrorizing the neighborhood scaring people and I think there was even one attack on another dog out there."
Bier says as part of the litigation, Ryan was allowed to keep two dogs and to get rid of the others.
Barney Bier, Adams Co States Attorney: "During that time he told us and the court he had found placement for the other five dogs in the St. Louis area. Whether that occured or not I specifically don't know but I think by implication that the animals found above stinger's were those rottweilers."
Ryan's first court appearance is scheduled for June 4th. Aggravated cruelty to animals is a class four felony punishable by prison time and a fine. Case UpdatesMichael B. Ryan, 32, was sentenced Wednesday to six months of periodic imprisonment in the Adams County Jail and 30 months of felony probation for allowing his five pet Rottweiler dogs to die in an empty apartment. He has also been fined $1,000, ordered to seek counseling and perform 100 hours of public service. It has been suggested his public service hours be at the Quincy Humane Society.
Ryan will be released from jail to go to work. Pending a compliance review he will not be required to serve the final three months.
The Quincy Humane Society will work with the probation department so that Ryan can perform his 100 hours of public service at the humane society.
Ryan was charged with five counts of aggravated cruelty to an animal when police found five dead dogs at 536-1/2 Washington on May 21. At first he pleaded not guilty, but on Sept 5 changed his plea to guilty to one count of aggravated cruelty to an animal in exchange for other charges being dismissed.
Michael Ryan owned the Stingers bar and the building where the police found the dogs in an apartment above the bar. Convicted felons cannot hold a liquor license so he give up ownership of the bar to his mother, Nan Ryan. Ryan now works at the Stingers bar as an employee.
During sentencing Ryan said he didn't know why he left the dogs alone in the apartment. The dogs died of starvation and thirst, and resorted to eating each other to stay alive.
Ryan said he felt overwhelmed when he received orders from the court to get rid of five of his seven Rottweilers. "It wasn't because I didn't love my dogs. I loved the dogs, and I love the (two) dogs I have now. I put myself in a bad situation."
On March 22, 2002, the State Attorney's Office filed a civil complaint against Ryan saying he filed to maintain vicious dogs. He had received several offense tickets for letting his dogs run at large. He was ordered at that time to fine new homes for five of his dogs.
Some of Ryan's neighbors complained about his dogs running free in the neighborhood. One neighbor said Ryan's dogs had attacked his dog and his dog required medical treatment.
Jennifer Cifaldi, Assistant State's Attorney, said "What's disturbing to me is the manner he allowed them to die in. Day after day, month after month, they went without food or water ... It's troubling to know he went to work on a daily basis and it didn't weight more on his conscience."
Judge Dennis Cashman could not understand how a man who said he loved his dogs could allow them to starve to death. Cashman said, "You told the police it was 'out of sight, out of mind.'"
Cashman asked Ryan what he was going to do with his two remaining dogs. Ryan was going to keep them in an office at the bar. Judge Cashman ordered him to make other arrangements and report to the Adams County Jail by 4:00 p.m. today. | Source: Quincy IL Herald-Whig - Oct 9, 2003
Update posted on Jul 13, 2006 - 4:56PM |
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