MIDDLETOWN, Ohio — A woman who brought a starving dog she claimed she'd found to an animal rescue group was actually the dog's owner and is now charged with a crime, according to the Butler County Sheriff's Office.
Earlier this week, Joseph's Legacy animal rescue shared photos on Facebook of Marvin, a dog they wrote had been found near Central and Girard in Middletown. Marvin's ribs and other bones were showing through his skin and fur in the photos.
It turned out that the woman who brought Marvin to the animal rescue was 27-year-old Ashley Kubilus, who told the county dog warden that she'd had the dog for about two years and was unable to care for him properly, Sheriff Richard Jones announced Thursday.
Kubilus told authorities that she ran out of room because she bought new furniture, and kept the dog in a cage in her basement, according to Jones. She is charged with cruelty to a companion animal.
"This is not rocket science, you get a pet, you feed and take care of the pet or you give it to someone who will," Jones said. "This dog has been starved so badly I'm not sure how it is still alive right now."
Marvin is now being cared for by Joseph's Legacy. They wrote on Facebook that he had already gained almost three pounds in a little over 24 hours.
