Youngstown man, William Clemons, sentenced for mistreating dogs

OHIO -- An east side Youngstown man who said he had dreams of starting his own kennel will now be spending a couple months under house arrest for the way he was treating some of his dogs.

William Clemons pleaded no contest Thursday morning to a charge of animal cruelty. Humane agents went to his house on Gray Avenue in March of last year, where they found five dogs chained outside in the cold with no food or water.

The animals were badly emaciated. In Youngstown Municipal Court, Judge Elizaeth Kobly told Clemons he ignored his responsibility to take care of the dogs.

“The dogs outside are tethered, meaning that they are not able to fend for themselves. And they are at your mercy. When they are at your mercy, you must provide for them and if you don’t, they get to look like this,” Kobly said while looking at photos of the dogs after they were rescued.

There were six other dogs inside the house.

“It might mean little, but this was not the intentional infliction of pain, cruelty to the animal,” defense attorney Tom Zena said.

Besides the 60 days of house arrest, Clemons was fined $250 and ordered to make restitution to Animal Charities for veterinary and housing costs. He is permitted to work during his 60 days of house arrest.

Clemons said in court that he was caring for the dogs but that the responsibilities of doing so got away from him.

“You were wrong. You were wrong not just for five minutes, not just for 10 minutes, not for a day.
You were wrong apparently for a period of time, which allowed those dogs to get into the emaciated conditions that we found them in,” Kobly said.

“I would love to lock you up and have the Sheriff forget to feed you for a while and then you would feel what these animals felt.”

Some Animal Charity workers expressed unhappiness at how long the court process has taken.

Even before Thursday’s hearing, dozens of protesters stood outside Youngstown City Hall, complaining the five dogs taken from Clemons’ home 14 months ago still have no permanent homes.

“Animal Charity is incurring unnecessary expenses. These are just beautiful dogs that want a home. It is standing in the way,” animal activist Jason Cooke said.

While Clemons can keep the animals found inside his house that day, he agreed to turn over custody of those found outside, including Doc, a 2-or-3-year-old female. Four of the animals are already with foster families and humane agents hope all five will now be adopted soon.

(WYTV - May 21, 2015)