A Toledo woman convicted of dog fighting was ordered Tuesday to relinquish custody of her dog as part of her sentence, but the order came too late for the “pit bull”/mastiff mix named Boomer.
Gary Willoughby, executive director of the Toledo Area Humane Society, which had removed Boomer from a Moore Street home in October, said the dog was killed in mid-June.
Boomer initially was expected to be placed for adoption, but Mr. Willoughboy said that in late May and early June, the dog attacked three people, including two of the veterinarians that work with the agency.
While the veterinarians were able to fend off the attack, Boomer bit a volunteer without any provocation, he said.
The humane society attempted to find a sanctuary or rescue organization that would accept Boomer after the incidents but was unsuccessful.
“We know the public doesn’t want us adopting dogs out that are going to, unprovoked, attack people,” Mr. Willoughby said. “It’s a sad situation.”
The dog was seized by the humane society after Toledo Police searched a home at 1358 Moore St. as part of a drug trafficking investigation. During the search, officers seized a cell phone that contained video footage of Boomer involved in a fight with another dog.
Living in the Moore Street home at the time were Lora Grinter, 23, and Clarence McNeal III, 33, both of whom were charged with two counts of dog fighting.
Grinter of 1329 Peck St. pleaded guilty June 3 to one count of dog fighting. On Tuesday, Lucas County Common Pleas Judge Myron Duhart placed her on community control for three years and ordered her to spend 30 days in the Lucas County Work Release Program.
He ordered that she undergo a substance abuse assessment, submit to random drug testing, and perform 40 hours of community service.
Defense attorney Gretchen DeBacker told the court that Grinter had no criminal history, was not drug dependent or mentally ill, and worked full-time at Chrysler making a good wage.
Grinter told the court she had “made some very poor decisions in my past and I assure I will never be in that position again.”
Judge Duhart said that if she violates the terms of her community control, she could be sentenced to 18 months in prison.
“This is very serious,” he said. “It involves the harming of an animal and sometimes that is a gateway into harming and doing more serious [offenses] than what this already is.”
McNeal, who also is charged with possession of cocaine and having weapons under disability, is scheduled for trial on Aug. 3.
First Published July 29, 2015, 4:00 a.m.
