A Ross County man has been charged with animal abuse after a puppy died on Wednesday.
Joshua Keets, Chillicothe, has been charged with animal cruelty for the abuse and death of a puppy that was handed over to the Ross County Humane Society.
According to the police report, it is alleged that on the morning of January 15, Keets threw the puppy out of the window of a home for barking. Witnesses say that after that, Keets was seen slamming the puppy on the ground, crating the puppy, and then picking up the crate with the puppy inside and throwing it against a wooden fence.
The dog was taken to a vet by a concern citizen, and the veternairian’s office contacted the Ross County Humane Society. However, the puppy died a few hours later from the injuries sustained during the abuse by Keets.
“The remaining puppies at the residence were seized by Deputy Pam Longlott of the Ross County Dog Warden office,” said the Humane Society in a release. “At that time Belinda Hufferd was also charged with animal cruelty for failure to seek medical treatment for the puppy at the time the injuries occurred.”
“I would like to thank Town and Country Animal Clinic, the Chillicothe Police Department, the Ross County Dog Warden office, Northfork Animal Clinic, and MedVet for their efforts and attempts to save this puppy and for working together to file charges as necessary,” said Executive Director of the Humane Society, Jenn Thomas “We hope justice will be served in due course. I would also like to thank the public for the donations received for his emergency care after we posted him on Facebook. We could not provide adequate emergency care for dogs in these situations without the support of our community.”