Animal Abuse: Dog beaten to death for barking - Collins, OH | Pet-Abuse.Com Animal Cruelty Database

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Case Snapshot

Case ID: 18566

Classification: Beating

Animal: dog (non pit-bull)

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Abuse was retaliation against animal's bad behavior

Drugs or alcohol involved

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Attorneys/Judges

Defense(s):	Ed Rhode
Judge(s):	John Ridge

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CONVICTED: Was justice served?

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Case #18566 Rating: 1.5 out of 5

Dog beaten to death for barking
Collins, OH (US)

Incident Date: Tuesday, Aug 16, 2011
County: Huron

Charges: Misdemeanor
Disposition: Convicted

Defendants/Suspects:
» Aaron M. Friel
» Kane Michael Ortman

Case Updates: 2 update(s) available

A Collins teen and a South Amherst teen admitted to beating a dog to death with a shovel, according to Huron County Dog Warden Gary Ousley.

An investigation was launched following an anonymous tip resulting in Kane Ortman, 19, of Collins, and Aaron Friel, 18, of South Amherst, admitting they beat the dog to death between Aug. 16 and 17, according to Ousley.

"They wanted to get it over with and off their chests," he said, adding the teens took the investigator to where they had buried the dog. "It had been buried for about a week."

Ousley said the dog was a yellow Labrador mix and the wardens' office is looking into whether the owner gave it to Ortman or a friend. The teens claimed they were abusing over-the-counter cold medicine and beat the dog in an intoxicated state at Ortman's home at 3702 DeRussey Road, Collins.

"They were out partying and they just decided to beat the dog because it was barking," Ousley said.

Warrants against both Ortman and Friel for animal cruelty were issued Friday, according to Norwalk Municipal Court records. The teens had not been arrested as of yesterday, according to Huron County Sheriff's Capt. Ted Patrick.

Patrick said the charges are a first degree misdemeanor.

Ohio is one of 16 states where animal cruelty is a misdemeanor offense, 34 states consider it a felony.

If someone has a prior animal cruelty conviction in Ohio, their second animal cruelty conviction would be a felony.

Case Updates

Convicted dog killer Kane Ortman will spend 180 days in jail for his role in the fatal beating of a 2-year-old dog, according to a Norwalk Municipal Court clerk.

Ortman, 19, of Collins, pleaded no contest Tuesday to animal cruelty and was found guilty. He was immediately taken to Huron County Jail.

Source: morningjournal.com - Sep 29, 2011
Update posted on Sep 30, 2011 - 12:16AM

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Rocky's original owner slept with the dog every night.

When Sharon Kidd would come home from work, he'd jump on her, said Sharon's mother, Tammy.

Rocky thought he was a lap dog, Tammy said. He wanted attention all the time, and he'd let you know it. Tammy said he was very playful very good with her grandchildren, ages 9 months and 3.

When Sharon, formerly of Wakeman, had to move to the Cleveland area to be near her cosmetology school, she wanted to take Rocky -- a 2-year-old yellow Labrador retriever mix.

She couldn't, though, because she was moving into an apartment complex that did not accept dogs, Tammy said.

"That was her baby and it broke her heart that she couldn't take it with her to Cleveland," Tammy said.

Suzanna E. Broadwater, of Wakeman, eventually took custody of Rocky.

Then Broadwater had to move, so she left Rocky temporarily with Kane M. Ortman, Norwalk Assistant Law Director T. Douglas Clifford said.

Ortman and Aaron M. Friel were charged with animal cruelty in connection with using a shovel to fatally beat Rocky on Aug. 17.

Friel, 18, of South Amherst, was convicted after pleaded no contest to the first-degree misdemeanor charge this week, and received the maximum six-month jail sentence, in addition to a $500 fine plus court costs totaling $181. Friel's jail term took effect immediately.

Ortman, 19, of 3702 DeRussey Road, Collins, pleaded innocent. His pre-trial is scheduled for Sept. 27 in Norwalk Municipal Court.

Tammy Kidd said Broadwater originally told her daughter that Rocky was hit and killed by an automobile.

Less than a week later, she learned that Rocky was beaten to death.

"She's been very upset," Tammy said, referring to her daughter. "She wanted a stiffer penalty (for Friel) but is glad he got the maximum."

Sharon said she would probably punch Friel and Ortman in the face if she saw them.

She wondered aloud how two people could kill an innocent animal that wanted to be loved.

"Everybody in my family loved Rocky," Sharon said. "Rocky was my dog; Rocky was my baby."

Sharon said she gave up Rocky only temporarily until she could find a place in the Cleveland area that allows dogs. She has moved into her permanent home, out of the apartment complex she originally moved into that didn't allow dogs.

Tammy Kidd said Friel expressed no remorse during his hearing. Norwalk Municipal Court Judge John Ridge asked Friel if he had anything he'd like to say before sentencing, and he said, "No."

"That bothered me," Kidd said. "It's sickening. (They are) future serial killers. Why didn't they just let him loose? He would have come back here. If they could do that to a dog, what would they do to a child or another person?"

Rumors have been circulating that the pair also tortured Rocky by cutting off his penis, gutting it and decapitating it. However, those reports are false, Huron County Deputy Dog Warden Josh Jasinski said.

The body is completely intact, Jasinski said, adding Rocky's death was caused by having its head being beaten with a shovel.

Tammy said the dog warden told her daughter Rocky was not mutilated.

"She was hoping to get the remains so we could give him a burial" but learned he was too decomposed, Tammy said.

But Sharon said it's still possible she could bury Rocky.

Source: norwalkreflector.com - Sep 10, 2011
Update posted on Sep 11, 2011 - 10:32PM

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References

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Dog beaten to death for barkingCollins, OH (US)

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Dog beaten to death for barking
Collins, OH (US)