Ohio man faces charges after puppy found abandoned in drawstring bag
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BUTLER COUNTY, Ohio (WJW) – An Ohio man faces animal cruelty charges after investigators say he allegedly left a puppy tied up in a drawstring bag later last month.
Deputies with the Butler County Sheriff’s Office arrested 34-year-old Harold Dean Lilly on Friday. He’s charged with cruelty to a companion animal and abandoning animals, both second-degree misdemeanors.
The investigation started on April 24, when a small puppy was found in a closed drawstring bag at a Hamilton park on Joe Nuxhall Boulevard, according to the sheriff’s office.
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Butler County Dog Wardens then took the pup, named Ryder, to the Animal Friends Humane Society.
The animal shelter posted photos of Ryder on Facebook, saying he wasn’t acting like a normal puppy during intake.
“He was lethargic and weak. While we accounted for his traumatic experience, we also had to rule out sicknesses,” the post read. “He tested negative for parvo and was vaccinated and dewormed. We then let him rest and regain his strength and stability, under the watchful eye of our medical team.”
At the time, the Animal Friends Humane Society said Ryder appeared to be two to three months old.
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The shelter provided an update a few days later, saying “the sweet guy has been through it and is improving everyday. Today he is up moving around his cage, wiggling his little butt and crying for attention.”
The spokesperson from Animal Friends Humane Society told FOX 8 Saturday night that Ryder is doing well and “acting very much like a puppy should.”
Court records show that Lilly was booked into the Butler County Jail on Friday. He’s awaiting an appearance in Hamilton Municipal Court.
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