8 dogs neglected Newark, OH (US) Incident Date: Friday, Jun 25, 2004 County: Licking Local Map: available Disposition: Alleged Alleged: Beth Deering Case Updates: 1 update(s) available

Case ID: 2488 Classification: Neglect / Abandonment Animal: dog (non pit-bull) View more cases in OH (US) Suspect was in animal welfare field Login to Watch this Case

The part-time naturalist fired last week from her job at the Reese Family Farm Park faces criminal charges for her treatment of eight dogs in the farmhouse basement.

Beth Deering, who said she found a stray dog with seven puppies and kept them in the basement for three days earlier this month, will be arraigned July 2 in Licking County Municipal Court on eight counts of cruelty to animals and one count of criminal trespassing.

The cruelty to animals charges are second-degree misdemeanors, and criminal trespassing is a fourth-degree misdemeanor.

In March, Deering was charged with two counts of failure to register a dog. She waived a guilty plea and paid $212 in fines and court costs for those violations.

Animal control officials who witnessed the scene in the farmhouse basement said there was no water available, the puppies could not reach the food and dog urine and feces covered the floor.

Newark City Dog Warden Toby Wills, Licking County Animal Shelter Manager William E. Johnson and Licking County Deputy Dog Warden Jason Guthrie all filed statements with the court.

"The dog and puppies were standing in dog urine and molded dog feces," Wills wrote in his statement. "The smell coming from the urine, feces and the ammonia smell was horrifying.

"I advised Ms. Deering that there was more than three days worth of dog feces on the floor and that the feces had already molded. I also advised Ms. Deering that it takes longer than three days for dog feces to mold to the stage it had," Willis' statement said.

Court records also included a statement from Deering, who wrote she found the dogs the weekend of June 12 at the Reese farm, took them home, but was unable to keep them and returned them to the farm.

Tina Crist, an employee of Homeward Bound Humane Society, said Deering called on June 10 to see if the shelter had room for a dog and puppies. Crist stated Deering told her the landlord would evict her if she kept the dogs.

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References

	newarkadvocate.com
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