The Blanchester Police Department had received a call from a person concerned about the welfare of a dog in a yard at an East John Street residence. Blanchester Police Chief Scott Reinbolt said police found the two dogs outside the home at 616 E. John St., Blanchester. A third outside dog appeared to be healthy, he said. Patrolman Brian Noah did not find anyone at the John Street residence at the time.
“Clinton County Dog Warden Rex Doak was called to the scene, observed the conditions of the two dogs outside, then took custody of them,” Reinbolt said.
“One of the dogs was suffering from an untreated back injury.”
[An experienced animal control officer/dog warden knows when and when not to use a control stick. It does not appear that it is necessary in these photos, especially for the dog with the 'untreated back injury'. Certainly there are times it is needed - for a fearful or aggressive dog, but when an officer/warden uses it unnecessarily it simply makes that officer/warden appear to be either inexperienced, unsure of how to handle dogs and/or afraid of dogs.]
The owner of the dogs, Jonathan Rossingol, who lives at the residence, was charged Wednesday night with two counts of cruelty to companion animals, both first-degree misdemeanors, one charge for each of dog taken into custody, Reinbolt said.
Rossingol was issued a summons to appear in the Clinton County Municipal Court. Reinbolt said a number of apparently healthy dogs were found inside the house.
“We are grateful to the person who called police with concerns about the dog, and appreciate the quick and effective response by Dog Warden Doak,” Reinbolt said. While Reinbolt did not know why the dogs were neglected, he said in many cases people are experiencing financial difficulties during the current economic recession.
“This sometimes makes it difficult to find the financial resources to adequately care for animals, however, there are alternatives to leaving animals unfed or neglected, and we encourage animal owners experiencing difficulties to explore those alternatives,” Reinbolt said.
“We will continue to aggressively investigate cases of this nature and bring charges accordingly.”
(Wilmington News Journal - May 10, 2012)
