Man facing charge for giving away heart attack victim's dog

PENNSYLVANIA -- The friend of a landlord is facing a theft charge after he allegedly gave away another man’s dog while the dog’s owner was in a hospital recovering from a heart attack.

“They got rid of my dog for no reason at all,” said John Panza.

Panza told Channel 11 that his landlord had someone remove his belongings from his rental home in Sharpsburg and gave away his dog, Coco, after he was taken to a hospital for a heart attack.

John Panza and his dog, Coco

Police charged David Zimmerman with theft in connection with the incident.

Property Manager Chris Fanto said when she couldn’t find Panza’s caretaker for the dog, she gave Coco to her friend, Zimmerman.

According to the criminal complaint, Zimmerman took the dog in because he feared that Animal Control would put the dog down because of its age.

Fanto said she acted with the best interest of the dog in mind.

“It’s an older dog that was trying to keep herself warm in a mess – in conditions even a dog couldn’t live in,” said Fanto. “I’ve been in the business for 30 years, I’ve never seen anything like it.”

At a court hearing Wednesday, Zimmerman provided a phone number and an address in Ohio for Panza to track down Coco.

If the dog is found within two weeks, the charge against Zimmerman will be dropped. If the dog is not found, the case could go to trial.

According to Fanto, Panza’s rent was paid up until the month of December – the month he had his heart attack. Fanto claimed she gave Panza 15 days’ notice and left a note for his roommate to call.
She said she never heard back from anyone, so she was forced to remove his belongings.

Panza said he plans to file a civil suit against the landlord.

(WPXI Pittsburgh - Feb 25, 2015)