CHILLICOTHE, Ohio — Two police dogs who were found emaciated in Ross County at two separate law enforcement agencies have many animal lovers and veterinarians alike upset.
This week, the Guardian obtained photos of “Rin” — a 5-year-old Belgian Malinois assigned to Chillicothe Police Officer Shane Simmons — that appear to show the dog in poor health. The photos were sent to the Guardian by several members of Chillicothe City Council who had concerns about the dog’s wellbeing and the way that the city’s administration was handling the situation.
In the photos, Rin is seen walking around a car doing a “free air sniff” at a traffic stop. The dog’s ribs are protruding from his sides and his hipbones are exposed. The Guardian was unable to verify the initial reason for the traffic stop, but the council members said that no one was arrested and no drugs were found.
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How is admin handling the situation?
Concerned for the dog’s wellbeing, the photos made their way to Police Chief Ron Meyers, who dismissed the pictures and told council members that the dog “received a clean bill of health” a month ago from a veterinarian and that Rin “is fine and healthy.”
A national animal rights group disagreed when they learned of the photos on Monday. The organization said they are monitoring the situation and are prepared to take legal action if Rin’s health is not immediately improved and if the officer is not disciplined for his lack of attention to the dog’s health.
Veterinarians say the dog is gravely ill.
“We don’t have much to go on with one photo, but I can tell you that one of our on-staff veterinarians who has forty years of experience said that Rin is clearly emaciated,” said All Dogs Come From Heaven spokesman Larry Greenburg. “All Dogs Crome From Heaven” is a nationally-organized animal rights rescue group with headquarters in Cincinnati. “There is not enough clinical data in the photo to say that Rin is emaciated because of the way he has been treated or lack of food; there could be something going on such as stomach cancer that is causing the emaciation.”
Emaciation means that an animal has a severe and diffuse loss of fat and skeletal muscle, which is often caused by neglect, according to the Humane Society of the United States. Greenburg said that while the exact cause of the emaciation for Rin is not immediately apparent from the photographs, the fact remains that the dog meets the medical definition and needs immediate medical attention.
“I don’t think there is any question whatsoever that Rin is emaciated. We had a second veterinarian on our staff look at the photo and agreed that Rin is emaciated. Regardless of what caused the medical malnutrition, Rin is currently being neglected because he has not received the proper medical treatment, no matter the underlying cause of the emaciation; be it starvation or a medical concern. He should not be working in the condition in which he is.”
Council members told the Guardian that the Chief of Police said the dog was eating normally and that there were no plans to remove the K-9 from his handler.
“It has had regular checkups at the vet, and I was told that the dog was shedding his winter coat. He has his monthly checkup this week,” one council member told the Guardian.
The Guardian reached out to Police Chief Ron Meyers and Mayor Luke Feeney for comment, but as of press time did not hear back.
“We would like to see the vet report that the police department claims was issued a month ago giving Rin a clean bill of health. I can tell you with confidence that the condition Rin is in did not happen in the last thirty days. There are very rare times where the entire intestine system shuts down and the dog cannot bring in any nutrients, but that is rare, and even if it was the case here, the fact stands: Rin should be in a medical unit, not in a cage at his handler’s home, and the officer should be disciplined for the lack of attention to the wellbeing of the dog, and the city administration should be, as well, for not enforcing it.”
The Sheriff’s office has a similar issue.
A similar issue occurred two weeks ago at the Ross County Sheriff’s office involving a bomb-sniffing dog named Petey.
Petey, who was assigned to Deputy Mitchel Reffett was seized by the Sheriff’s office from Reffett’s house at the end of April after it was discovered the K-9 was extremely emaciated, starved, and filled with parasites and worms. Reffett, who lives in Vinton County, was given the option to resign and criminal charges were not filed. Petey was taken to the vet and was given medication. He has been assigned a new handler within the Sheriff’s office to foster him until he is healed.
Reffett’s resignation was effective immediately.
Recent cases of animal cruelty in Ross County.
In February, for the first time in Ross County, a case of felony animal cruelty was successfully prosecuted after a Waverly woman was convicted of dragging a dog behind her car. Cynthia Temple-Colburn received mandatory community control sanctions, 180 days in the Ross County Jail, and is prohibited from owning companion animals.
In late 2020, a former Ross County corrections officer and dispatcher for the Greenfield Police Department was facing charges related to animal cruelty in Chillicothe. Jessica M. Malone was charged with two cruelty charges of torture and failure to provide medical care in a timely manner to a search-and-rescue dog she housed. The misdemeanor charges stemmed from Malone’s alleged treatment of a 5-year-old German shepherd, Sarge, who was discovered nearly 30 pounds underweight. The charges were later dismissed.
Meanwhile, Simmons stays on the job as Rin’s caretaker as the dog works the streets.
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