Twin Cities men plead no contest in cases of dogs that died in cold

[TribalRats]

Twin Cities men plead no contest in cases of dogs that died in cold
By RENEE BROWN, T-R Staff Writer

UHRICHSVILLE – Two men accused of allowing their dogs to freeze to death in the recent cold weather appeared in Tuscarawas County Court Tuesday on animal cruelty charges.

Gil Gaynesbloom, 50, of 4663 Irish Run Rd. SE, Dennison, pleaded no contest to one count of cruelty to animals. The plea was taken under advisement by Judge Brad Hillyer, who ordered a pre-sentence investigation.

Assistant Dog Warden Terry Warner said Wednesday he was called to Gaynesbloom’s residence on Sunday after a concerned person contacted sheriff deputies about a dog that was tied outside and not being taken care of.

Warner said he found the dog frozen to death outside its dog house.

“He had a big chain on it too, too big for the small hound mix,” Warner said. “It was emaciated and dehydrated. You could see all of its bones.”

Roy Kenney II, 33, of 6811 Edie Hill Rd. SE, Uhrichsville, pleaded no contest to one count of cruelty to animals and two counts of failure to license a dog as a result of a Friday investigation by Warner.

Hillyer, who also took that plea under advisement, has requested further information on the matter after Kenney told him the dead dog was not his.

Warner said a neighbor called to report finding a dead dog and recognized it as Kenney’s. Warner said he went to the residence, retrieved the carcass of the frozen dog and asked Kenney if the dead dog was his.

“He said it was his,” Warner said. “There was no hesitation. His wife also ID’d the dog.”

Warner said the dog was dehydrated and emaciated, and those conditions led to its death. Warner also cited Kenney for failing to license two other dogs he owns.

Warner said when Kenney appeared in court Tuesday he said the dead dog was not his dog. He said his dog had run away and had finally come home.

Warner called both situations a shame and noted the deaths would have been very painful for the dogs.

“Those dogs were dehydrated and emaciated and that doesn’t happen overnight,” Warner said. “I’m sure there have been a lot more dogs that have froze to death that we have not been contacted on. If a dog is not well-fed and doesn’t have proper shelter to get out of the frigid weather, it will not survive.

“Once their resistance goes down with the lack of food and water, their organs shut down. They lay down, and they don’t get back up. It’s very sad.”

Warner encouraged people to call the county dog pound at (330) 339-2616 during regular business hours or the county sheriff at (330) 339-2000 any other time to report an animal in distress. Anonymous reports will be checked out.

“That’s why we are here,” he said. “We will investigate. Animals, when tied on a chain, cannot fend for themselves. There are laws against that, and we will press those charges.”