State v. Angus, Unpublished Decision (8-29-2006)

2006 Ohio 4455
CourtOhio Court of Appeals
DecidedAugust 29, 2006
DocketNo. 05AP-1054.
StatusUnpublished
Cited by10 cases

This text of 2006 Ohio 4455 (State v. Angus, Unpublished Decision (8-29-2006)) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Ohio Court of Appeals primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
State v. Angus, Unpublished Decision (8-29-2006), 2006 Ohio 4455 (Ohio Ct. App. 2006).

Opinion

OPINION
{¶ 1} Larry Angus, Jr., appellant, seeks review of his conviction and sentence imposed in the Franklin County Municipal Court on September 30, 2005. Appellant was charged with three counts of violating R.C. 959.131(C)(2) involving two companion animals, commonly known as pets. One charge accused appellant of negligently failing to provide proper medical care to one of the dogs. The second and third charges accused appellant of negligently depriving his two dogs of necessary sustenance resulting in the animals being between 25 and 35 percent underweight.

{¶ 2} The prosecution dismissed the first charge and the case proceeded to trial before a jury on the two counts of depriving the dogs of necessary sustenance. The jury returned guilty verdicts on both charges. Appellant was sentenced and filed this appeal.

{¶ 3} The state's evidence consisted of the testimony of Capital Area Humane Society ("Humane Society") Agent Jennifer Kulina and Dr. Barbara Whitlock, a veterinarian. Appellant presented the testimony of his girlfriend, a neighbor, and testified on his own behalf.

{¶ 4} On December 12, 2004, having received a complaint that appellant's dogs were not being properly cared for, Agent Kulina went to appellant's apartment. She found two dogs, a Dalmatian mixed breed and a Rottweiler mixed breed. Both animals were emaciated. Their ribs, hipbones and spines were protruding through their skin. The dogs were in a small cage barely big enough for each dog to lie down. The cage held no food or water and was contaminated with feces and urine. The dogs had urine burns on their skin. They were in "terrible condition."

{¶ 5} Although Agent Kulina had the authority to impound the dogs due to their emaciated condition,1 she elected instead to require appellant to have the dogs examined by a veterinarian of his choice. Appellant was to schedule that appointment within 24 hours, advise Agent Kulina the name of the veterinarian, and have the dogs examined within five days. Appellant made an appointment but failed to appear. He rescheduled and the dogs were examined. However, when Agent Kulina contacted the veterinarian to find out if appellant had complied with her instructions, the veterinarian "stated that he did not re-schedule a follow-up appointment which was required by that vet."2 As a result, Agent Kulina obtained a search warrant to seize the dogs.

{¶ 6} The dogs were delivered to the Humane Society where Dr. Whitlock examined them. Dr. Whitlock found the Rottweiler weighed only 44.5 pounds, later determined to be 40 percent below its normal weight. The Dalmatian weighed only 42.3 pounds, 26 percent underweight.

{¶ 7} Dr. Whitlock saw no symptoms that the dogs had intestinal worms.3 However, she had been told that the dogs had received an initial treatment so she administered a second dose of the medication. Other than that, the course of treatment was simply to feed the dogs twice a day until they regained their normal weight. The dogs were fed the normal dry dog food fed to all of the dogs at the Humane Society shelter. Both dogs responded to being fed properly and regained their proper weight. The Rottweiler's weight increased from 44.5 pounds to 75 pounds while the Dalmatian's weight rose from 42.3 pounds to 57.2 pounds.

{¶ 8} During cross-examination of Dr. Whitlock, the defense suggested that the dogs' condition could have been a result of a whipworm infection of their intestines. Dr. Whitlock testified that, in 31 years of veterinary practice, she had never seen severe weight loss from a whipworm infection. Only an illness such as late-stage cancer would cause the extent of weight loss the two dogs had suffered. Instead, in Dr. Whitlock's professional opinion, the dogs were severely underweight because they had not been adequately fed.

{¶ 9} Appellant lived with his girlfriend, Sarah Ice, and his roommate, Jay. Ms. Ice testified on behalf of appellant. She believed that appellant fed his dogs the best food he could buy. She felt Agent Kulina was rude. She denied that appellant missed the second appointment with the veterinarian on January 4, 2005, and felt that appellant was dealing with the veterinarian as required.

{¶ 10} Appellant's friend, Hugh Bolton, testified that he provided appellant with transportation to purchase dog food as needed and to the veterinarian. Bolton did not know the condition of the dogs.

{¶ 11} Appellant testified on his own behalf. He said that he cared for his dogs and kept them in a cage in his bedroom. His dogs were as important to him as his infant child. He maintained that he fed the dogs properly and complied with the Humane Society order to have the dogs seen by a veterinarian. Appellant said he first noticed the dogs were losing weight two weeks before Agent Kulina came to his apartment. At first, he conceded he was late for the follow-up veterinarian visit, but then claimed the veterinarian failed to appear.4

{¶ 12} Appellant raises five assignments of error:

First Assignment of Error

The trial court erred in admitting hearsay testimony that was used to establish that Appellant was negligent in the care of his dogs.

Second Assignment of Error

There was insufficient evidence to support Appellant's conviction on charges of animal neglect and the verdicts were against the manifest weight of the evidence.

Third Assignment of Error

The trial court erred in ordering that there be no animals in Appellant's home as a condition of probation.

Fourth Assignment of Error

The trial court erred in ordering Appellant to pay $3,000 in restitution payments to the Humane Society.

Fifth Assignment of Error

The trial court erred, in violation of Ohio's allied offense statute as set forth in R.C. 2941.25, in imposing consecutive terms for the two counts of animal neglect.

We address each assignment of error in order.

{¶ 13} In his first assignment of error, appellant claims that inadmissible hearsay was introduced at trial and the erroneous admission of that evidence was prejudicial to his case. Appellant objects to the portion of Agent Kulina's testimony where she explained that she sought a search warrant to seize the dogs after being told that appellant had not scheduled a follow-up appointment with the veterinarian. Specifically, Agent Kulina testified that the veterinarian "stated that he did not reschedule." Appellant interposed a hearsay objection. The trial court overruled the objection finding that the answer was "not offered for the truth of the matter asserted [but was] * * * offered as to whether he complied." (Tr. at 24.) Defense counsel did not request a limiting instruction. Agent Kulina then explained that, when she learned that appellant did not schedule a required follow-up appointment, the next step in the investigation was to seek a warrant to seize the animals.

{¶ 14} Hearsay is defined in Evid.R. 801. By definition, hearsay is a statement, made out of court, that is offered in court to prove that what was said in the statement is true. A statement that falls within the definition of hearsay in Evid.R. 801 is excludable under Evid.R. 802 unless it falls within one of the exceptions contained in Evid.R. 804.

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Bluebook (online)
2006 Ohio 4455, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-angus-unpublished-decision-8-29-2006-ohioctapp-2006.