A German shepherd who was left exposed to bitterly cold winter weather will be getting a new home.
Former co-owner Selena Carrigan, 60, of the 2800 block of Mulberry Street, pleaded no contest Wednesday in Toledo Municipal Court to a misdemeanor charge of animal cruelty and surrendered her ownership rights to the dog.
Judge Timothy Kuhlman reserved judgment, instead referring Ms. Carrigan to the court’s Alternatives Program for first-time offenders. She also was enrolled into the Community Service Probation Program in lieu of paying fees for the Alternatives Program.
Last month, Judge Josh Lanzinger ordered Anthony R. Flunder, 60, of the unit block of Bronson Place in North Toledo, to forfeit the dog and prohibited him from possessing any animals while on three years of active probation. The judge also suspended a 90-day sentence at the Corrections Center of Northwest Ohio and ordered 40 hours of community service.
Mr. Flunder had been found guilty after a bench trial Aug. 12 of misdemeanor animal cruelty. He was acquitted of three additional charges in the case: obstruction, menacing, and misconduct at an emergency.
Toledo police on Jan. 20 found the shepherd outside in a chain-link kennel. The dog was thin, there was a dead rat inside the kennel, and a lack of footprints in the snow indicated the shepherd had not been cared for in some time, according to court records.
According to the complaint, Mr. Flunder’s wife — not specifically identified as Ms. Carrigan, although public records show the pair married in 2002 — told investigators they did not feed or make contact with the dog in at least 24 hours because it was too cold outside.
The dog has been in a boarding facility under the care of the Compassionate Village since its rescue.
First Published September 19, 2019, 7:07 p.m.
