Left dog without shelter - froze to death Union Township, OH (US) Incident Date: Tuesday, Jan 21, 2003 County: Madison Local Map: available Disposition: Not Charged Person of Interest: Charles Post

Case ID: 797 Classification: Neglect / Abandonment Animal: dog (non pit-bull) View more cases in OH (US) Login to Watch this Case

Charles Post had a dead and frozen dog in his backyard for days and knew it.� Post, of 4802 state Route 665, in Union Township east of London, was suspected of "cruelty to animals," according to a search warrant signed by Judge Robert D. Nichols at 2 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 4, 2003.

Since then, the house has been condemned by the health department and humane society officials in Madison and Clark counties have been caring for numerous animals confiscated from the property. Animals in the worst condition were taken to Clark County and about 30 cats were taken to the already overcrowded and underfunded Madison County animal shelter.

Documents connected to the search warrant, including an inventory of animals confiscated from the Post home, are now on file in the office of clerk of courts Marie Parks. The documents make it clear that the office of Madison County Sheriff Steve Saltsman looked into Post's activities for several days before the animals were seized.

According to a report filed by sheriff's Lt. Doug Crabbe, two people reported concerns about the property on Route 665 on Friday, Jan. 17.� One of the reports came from a satellite television installer who went to the Post home to service an existing satellite system.

He reported the "odor of the residence to be unbearable and burning his eyes," according to the report, which says the man saw dead animals and piles of feces inside and outside the house.

A delivery person contacted the sheriff's office after a visit to the home and filed a similar report. Also, a representative of Adult Protective Services received complaints and "observed the same conditions," according to Crabbe's report.

Then, on Tuesday, Jan. 21, Crabbe made his first visit to the Post residence, where he "detected a very strong, pungent odor."

Crabbe reported a crippled dog fenced outside with no food and frozen water, and five horses in a 150-square-foot fenced area with "no water, feed or shelter."

The report says Post came outside to talk to Crabbe. At that point, Crabbe was able to see numerous cats inside the house with "feces piled on the floor and growths on the walls and ceilings." The documents say that feces had been left inside the house so long that it grew mold.

Post showed Crabbe a dead and frozen dog in the back yard on Jan. 21. It was still there two-weeks later.

Crabbe reported that he offered to call animal rescue personnel for Post on Jan. 21, but he refused.

"This is the way he chooses to live," Crabbe wrote in the request for a search warrant.

The investigator went back to the house on Monday, Feb. 3 to follow up on a letter sent to Post advising him to clean up the premises.

"Lt. Crabbe observed the five horses still confined in a mud lot without feed, the dead canine in the yard (and) the odor," according to the report, which was the basis for the search warrant. The warrant was served on Wednesday, Feb. 5 and a follow-up document lists two dogs, 40 cats, a cockateil, a parakeet and one flying squirrel confiscated from the property.

As of this week, no charges have been filed against Charles Post.

Sheriff's Chief Deputy Jim Sabin said Tuesday that deputies are still waiting for a report from Humane Society officials on the condition of the animals. That report will be used by county Prosecutor Stephen Pronai to help decide whether criminal charges are warranted.

Betty Peyton, executive director of the Madison County Humane Society, said Post appeared to be the kind of person who was unable to say 'no' to taking in another animal.

"It's not like he was a horrible person," she said.

Post signed over possession of the animals and will not be charged for the care they required.

Housing the animals in Clark County will cost about $14 per day, according to the director of that county's Humane Society, Ed Sisler. He called Post "cooperative," adding that "the agency has no plan to pursue him any further."

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