Dog thrown down stairs, resulting in death
Conneaut, OH (US)

Incident Date: Wednesday, Sep 6, 2006
County: Ashtabula

Disposition: Convicted

Defendant/Suspect: Donna Steverding

A Conneaut woman who killed a dog after tossing it at her boyfriend during an argument will be sentenced in October in Conneaut Municipal Court on a cruelty charge.

A plea agreement saw Donna Steverding, 41, of 260 Sandusky St., plead guilty to a cruelty-to-animals charge at a hearing on the afternoon of Sept 18. In return, the city prosecutor agreed to drop a domestic-violence charge facing Steverding. The latter charge was dismissed only after the victim, a 42-year-old city man, agreed to the arrangement.

Judge Thomas Harris set an Oct. 23 sentencing hearing on the cruelty charge, a second-degree misdemeanor that carries a maximum 90-day jail sentence and a $750 fine. The date will provide time for Steverding to be evaluated by the Lake Area Recovery Center for possible treatment, he said.

Harris reminded Steverding that during her initial court appearance earlier this month, she indicated a problem with alcohol. "I tend to agree it may be a problem," he said.

The incident occurred early on the morning of Sept. 6, at the Sandusky Street house the couple share. The victim told police he was trying to sleep upstairs when Steverding, who had been drinking, became belligerent and threatened to kill him. The victim, trying to defuse the situation, went downstairs. When he reached the bottom of the stairs, he heard Steverding and turned to see her holding his 5-year-old dog, described in police reports as an American Eskimo. Steverding tossed the animal at the man and it tumbled down the stairs, police said. The animal suffered a broken neck and died, officers said.

The victim went to the police station to report the incident. When officers arrived at the house, they found Steverding sitting on the floor next to the dead dog, which was covered by a towel.

Seated in the courtroom prior to the start of Monday's hearing, an emotional Steverding was overheard saying she owned and loved the dog and never meant to cause it harm.

"I taught it to do tricks," she said through tears.

References

• « OH State Animal Cruelty Map
  « More cases in Ashtabula County, OH

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