MIDDLETOWN, Ohio -- An animal rescue owner has been found guilty of five counts of animal cruelty, WCPO media partner the Journal-News reports.
Lesli Martin, owner of Heart’s Rescue Sanctuary, originally was charged with six counts of animal cruelty. Middletown Municipal Court Judge Melynda Cook Howard decided on a not-guilty verdict for the remaining charge.
The crime is a first-degree misdemeanor.
Deputies and dog wardens raided the sanctuary in the Middletown Shopping Center on Nov. 30, after several warnings were given to the owner, the sheriff's office said. There were 49 cats at the sanctuary; officials seized 28 of them that were sick and injured.
Cat found at the Heart Rescue Sanctuary in Middletown, Ohio.
One cat and six kittens were euthanized because a veterinarian determined they were suffering from multiple medical conditions, including ring worm and flea anemia. Those animals were the basis of the charges against Martin, 51.
Last week, months after the Butler County Dog Warden’s Office filed those charges, Martin had a bench trial in Middletown Municipal Court. The judge issued her decision Tuesday.
Sentencing is set for Sept. 20. The charge carries a maximum sentence of 180 days in jail and a $1,000 fine.
