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Case Snapshot
Case ID: 18393
Classification: Neglect / Abandonment
Animal: dog (pit-bull)
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Attorneys/Judges
Judge(s): Terry Ivanchek


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Case #18393 Rating: 2.6 out of 5



Severely emaciated dog rescued
Warren, OH (US)

Incident Date: Monday, Aug 8, 2011
County: Trumbull

Charges: Misdemeanor
Disposition: Convicted
Case Images: 2 files available

Defendant/Suspect: Tyree D. Kyle

Case Updates: 4 update(s) available

The owner of a pit bull puppy is facing cruelty charges after the dog was taken from southeast side home where it had been living in deplorable conditions, according to officials.

Police discovered the dog on Monday when they went to 2274 S. Feederle S.E. because the resident was being evicted, according to reports.

The dog, Bubba, weighed 14 pounds and was lying in feces and urine without access to food or water in a locked room.

Warren Animal Control Officer John Onatz called it one of the worst cases of animal abuse he'd ever seen.

"I would say this one of the worst in all my times down here. To leave a dog like that, it is incredible," said Warren Animal Control Officer John Onatz, who has been working for nearly 28 years.

Onatz filed a charge of animal cruelty against the owner, Tyree Kyle, who is set to appear in
Bubba is in the care of Jennifer Bird of

He is eating and those taking care of him are hoping he will make a full recovery and eventually find a good home.


Case Updates

The Warren man accused of abandoning Bubba the pit bull puppy in a locked room with no food or water has pleaded guilty in the case and was sentenced to 45 days in jail and five years probation, during which time he cannot own a pet.

Tyree Kyle, 21, made the plea to an original charge of cruelty to animals in Warren Municipal Court Thursday, a little over two weeks before his Nov. 7 trial date. Kyle was sentenced to 90 days in jail, but the judge suspended 45 and agreed to allow him to serve the time in a work release program. Kyle also must pay $350 of a $750 fine.

Bubba, who was severely malnourished and underweight, was found after Kyle had been evicted from a Warren apartment. Police said Bubba had no food or water and was lying in his own feces and urine.

Kyle's family previously said he had no job and no money to feed even himself.

Several protesters attended Kyle's court appearances, saying they wanted Kyle to get the maximum sentence and pushing to make animal abuse a felony in Ohio.

After Bubba was found, a Facebook page, Justice for Bubba, was created and regular updates are given on his condition. The page has more than 6,000 followers.

Bubba is being taken care of at an animal rescue facility in Pittsburgh. He is recovering, has gained several pounds, and is now able to play and bark.
Source: wytv.com - Oct 21, 2011
Update posted on Oct 21, 2011 - 5:08PM 
Tyree Kyle, the man accused of leaving Bubba the pit bull puppy locked in a room with no food or water, appeared for a pretrial on Thursday.

Nearly 75 protestors were there to greet him and they said they want Kyle to get the maximum sentence.

"We want him to get the full sentence, and also our other big message is that we want Ohio to make animal abuse a felony," said Jennifer Bird, who rescued Bubba.

Kyle, 21, pleaded not guilty to a charge of cruelty to animals earlier this month. He will go to trial Sept. 22.
Source: wytv.com - Aug 25, 2011
Update posted on Aug 27, 2011 - 9:21PM 
Family members of a man accused of leaving his puppy without food or water so long that the puppy nearly died said the man himself was starving.

Tyree D. Kyle, 21, of 1566 Niles Road, pleaded not guilty to a charge of animal cruelty, a second-degree misdemeanor, Friday in Warren Municipal Court as protesters packed the courtroom. Kyle, on the initial complaint, was charged with a fourth-degree misdemeanor, a point of outrage for protesters.

Court officials said it was likely the mistake was overlooked on the report.

Kyle, who is facing a maximum penalty of 60 days in jail and a $750 fine, posted the $365 bail set by Municipal Court Judge Terry Ivanchek, who stipulated that Kyle is not allowed to own any pets.

He is scheduled to appear in court for a preliminary hearing Aug. 25, and activists said they would drum up more support for that hearing.

The 25 activists wore "Justice for Bubba" T-shirts that bore a photo of the 6 -to 10-month old pit bull that Animal Control officers rescued Monday from Kyle's former home. They said Bubba was locked in a room covered in feces and urine and was without water, food or fresh air.

Marty Conklin, a rescue volunteer for the Trumbull County Dog Pound who helped organize the protest, said of Kyle, "He's clueless. I feel sorry for him. I don't think he wants to be bad, but he's just in a culture where he doesn't know any better.

''I'm not angry with him, I'm angry with the environment that causes this to happen," Conklin said.

Warren Animal Control Officer Jeff Onatz said court bailiffs went to the house at 2274 North Feederle Drive S.E. on Monday because Kyle was being evicted. They found Bubba. Onatz called it the worst case of animal cruelty he's seen in 28 years.

Jennifer Bird of FurKid Rescue in Pittsburgh is taking care of Bubba. She took him to the protest Friday, where he quietly let his supporters pet him. She said Bubba gained six pounds since Monday, up to 20 pounds from 14 when he was found. He should weigh between 30 and 40 pounds, she said.

She said he may never walk normally because his growth plates closed due to malnourishment and he is suffering from psychological ailments including fear of being left alone.

"I am so angry at him," Bird said of Kyle. "I just want him to confess to what he did."

Kyle's family members who went with him to court, however, said Kyle was himself starving and without a job. His uncle, James Blount, said Kyle took the dog in and fed him, but went to Atlanta to look for a job.

The people he went with forced him out of the car and he had to hitchhike back to Warren.

"He wants the dog," Blount said. "He's cried about it every night since it happened."

Kyle refused to talk to reporters after court.

The protesters held signs with Bubba's picture on it. They waited for Kyle to arrive at court, but he showed up late and exited the building out a different door. The protesters stood quietly on the sidewalk as family members, who stoically drove away, walked past.

Protesters said they want Ohio laws changed to make cruelty to animals a felony instead of a misdemeanor.

Jeane Beach of Fowler said she became aware of animal rights issues after a raid by the Animal Welfare League last year.

"It just breaks my heart that someone would do this to such a sweet animal," she said.

Matt and Corey McCreary of Boardman said they own a rescue dog, Duke, who was hit by a car in Mansfield and abandoned by his owner.

"It's just disgusting," Cory McCreary said. "How could you know you were in the same house everyday with a dog who was starving?"

FurKid Rescue set up a Facebook page to keep people updated with Bubba's condition and to organize future protests. A
Source: tribtoday.com - Aug 13, 2011
Update posted on Aug 13, 2011 - 12:17AM 
The man accused of leaving a pit bull puppy with no food or water in a locked room faced a judge Friday.

Outside the police department, nearly two dozen protesters gathered to support Bubba and ask for more than a slap on the wrist for what Tyree D. Kyle, 21, had done.

Kyle faces a misdemeanor charge of cruelty to animals after Bubba was found Monday lying in his own feces and urine. Police said the dog was found in a back room in a home they went to because the owner was being evicted. Warren Dog Warden John Onatz said it was one of the worst cases he's see in nearly 28 years.

Kyle pleaded not guilty to his charge in Warren Municipal Court Friday. His family was with him in the courtroom and said Kyle loves the dog and wants him back. They said Kyle had no job and no money to feed himself, let alone the puppy.

But animal rights activists said that isn't an excuse and that Kyle could have asked for help.

"The dog was also full of hook works and whip worms," said Jennifer Bird, who is taking care of Bubba at an animal rescue in Pittsburgh. "I'm surprised he's still living. My veterinarian actually said yesterday when he did a follow up visit that they were surprised they were even trying to save him when we went to the shelter, because of his condition. They figured he would have died."

Jennifer Bird of
"This ranks up there with the worst cases I've ever dealt with," Bird said Bubba should weigh between 30 and 40 pounds. He weighed 14 pounds. "The vet was surprised they even wanted to save him because he was in such bad conditions," Bird said. "He probably wouldn't have made it another 48 hours." Bubba won't allow himself to be left in a room alone, Bird said. He follows her constantly. "He will wake up out of a dead sleep if I move five feet away," she said. Bird said he's still weak, and can barely walk.

She also said Bubba's veterinarian said long-term effects of the neglect and abuse could mean Bubba may never walk correctly again. She said Bubba's growth plates closed because of the malnourishment, which means his bones may grow crooked and prevent him from walking normally. "When I first saw him my heart dropped into my stomach and I started crying," she said. "Then I got angry, because, I thought, how could a human being do this to another living thing?"

Marty Conklin, a rescue volunteer for the the Trumbull County Dog Pound and a former veterinarian's assistant, said, ''We're hoping that he makes a full recovery.'' While the growth plates are bad, his internal organs seem to be in order, she said. Onatz said he was shocked that Bubba was still alive after seeing the conditions he was in. "The way I would phrase it," he said, "is that Bubba must have had a strong will to live. Another would dog would not have been able to survive in those conditions. Through some miracle, he survived."

A
Justice for Bubba Facebook page has been set up so she can post his progress and ramp up support for Bubba and stronger animal cruelty laws.

Kyle will be back in court sometime in the next few weeks.
Source: wkbn.com - Aug 12, 2011
Update posted on Aug 12, 2011 - 3:59PM 

References

  • tribtoday.com - Aug 10, 2011
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