Animal advocates hope to raise awareness about Nitro’s Law
On Oct. 22, 2008 an elite dog training and boarding facility in Youngstown was raided by humane officers and subsequently by police when a customer complained about not being able to retrieve her dog. When humane officers were given permission by neighbors to view the facility’s backyard, what they saw was horrific. Dead and dying dogs were in plain sight.
The facility, High Caliber K-9 at Youngstown, was owned by Steve Croley, who was known and trusted by the customers who placed their dogs in his care. Croley was arrested and eventually charged and convicted on four misdemeanor infractions for starving 19 dogs, eight of whom died.
The judge sentenced Croley to 30 days in jail, $1,746 in restitution and three years of probation. Croley was ordered not to own or harbor any animals during the term of his probation. This, according to animal activist and Tuscarawas County Humane Society volunteer Diane Carper, is just one more crime of horrendous proportions to add to the list of Ohio’s growing atrocities of abuse committed against defenseless animals.
Tom Siesto and Liz Raab lost their beloved Rottweiler, Nitro, while he was in Croley’s care. Nitro was attending a three-month training camp when he was starved to death. Croley had become their trusted friend in the two and a half years the couple had known him. Never did they think he was capable of the neglect and abuse that took place at High Caliber K-9. Once a healthy 105 pounds, Nitro was a mere 50 pounds when his dead body was removed from the facility, mistaken for a Doberman because he was so emaciated.
Nitro’s Law, currently Ohio House Bill 108, was created as a felony provision and proactive legislative measure to increase the outdated misdemeanor-only provisions and penalties currently in place for animal crimes in the state of Ohio. If passed, the law would specifically prohibit an owner of a kennel of dogs from committing cruel treatment of a companion animal and to give a prosecutor who prosecutes an owner of a kennel of dogs who commits cruel treatment of a companion animal discretion in prosecuting the owner for the offense.
In February 2009, Nitro’s Law was introduced and passed the Ohio House of Representatives and was assigned to the Ohio Senate’s Criminal Justice Committee for consideration. For nearly one year this landmark bill languished in the Ohio Senate. On Dec. 31, 2010, Nitro’s Law ceased to exist and was reintroduced Feb. 16, 2011 by Ohio state representatives Ronald V. Gerberry of the 59th District and Robert F. Hagan of the 60th District.
It passed the Ohio Senate’s Criminal Justice Committee Sept. 21, 2011. House Bill 108 must now be passed by the full House of Representatives and Senate before becoming law. It would allow animal abuse charges to go from a misdemeanor to a fifth-degree felony.
“Ohioans can support the bill by getting involved and staying involved until its passage by writing, calling and visiting their elected legislators in person,” said Raab. “Ohio is rated 45th in the nation for their lack of animal cruelty laws and punishments. It’s time for Ohio to get out of the dark ages and be in the top 10, not the bottom five. I would suggest Ohioans first educate their legislators, as I’ve found most of the legislators know very little or nothing at all about the animal laws in Ohio. Most don’t know that it’s a proven fact that most animal abusers go on to abuse humans,” said Raab.
Local animal advocates believe many in the region are unaware of the proposed changes in laws that can protect companion animals. “I feel the general population in our area is not aware about the outdated laws in Ohio and that there is a fight going on now to toughen the laws. People should be contacting their legislators and fighting for this,” said Carper.
Steve Croley was arrested again Dec. 21, 2011 at Austintown for violating the terms of his probation, which was to end Jan. 21. He was found to have dogs on his property. He was found not guilty Jan. 11. The dogs, he claimed, belong to his wife.
Supporters of Nitro’s Law will be holding a peaceful demonstration at the Tuscarawas County Courthouse Feb. 7, from 8 a.m. to noon, the same day the trial of Debra Brown of New Philadelphia begins. Brown is accused of neglecting and abusing more than 100 animals on her Henderson School Road farm in July 2011.
For more information about Nitro’s Law and how you can help, visit their website at http://www.nitrofoundation.com/nitros-law.html or find them on Facebook.
The facility, High Caliber K-9 at Youngstown, was owned by Steve Croley, who was known and trusted by the customers who placed their dogs in his care. Croley was arrested and eventually charged and convicted on four misdemeanor infractions for starving 19 dogs, eight of whom died.
The judge sentenced Croley to 30 days in jail, $1,746 in restitution and three years of probation. Croley was ordered not to own or harbor any animals during the term of his probation. This, according to animal activist and Tuscarawas County Humane Society volunteer Diane Carper, is just one more crime of horrendous proportions to add to the list of Ohio’s growing atrocities of abuse committed against defenseless animals.
Tom Siesto and Liz Raab lost their beloved Rottweiler, Nitro, while he was in Croley’s care. Nitro was attending a three-month training camp when he was starved to death. Croley had become their trusted friend in the two and a half years the couple had known him. Never did they think he was capable of the neglect and abuse that took place at High Caliber K-9. Once a healthy 105 pounds, Nitro was a mere 50 pounds when his dead body was removed from the facility, mistaken for a Doberman because he was so emaciated.
Nitro’s Law, currently Ohio House Bill 108, was created as a felony provision and proactive legislative measure to increase the outdated misdemeanor-only provisions and penalties currently in place for animal crimes in the state of Ohio. If passed, the law would specifically prohibit an owner of a kennel of dogs from committing cruel treatment of a companion animal and to give a prosecutor who prosecutes an owner of a kennel of dogs who commits cruel treatment of a companion animal discretion in prosecuting the owner for the offense.
In February 2009, Nitro’s Law was introduced and passed the Ohio House of Representatives and was assigned to the Ohio Senate’s Criminal Justice Committee for consideration. For nearly one year this landmark bill languished in the Ohio Senate. On Dec. 31, 2010, Nitro’s Law ceased to exist and was reintroduced Feb. 16, 2011 by Ohio state representatives Ronald V. Gerberry of the 59th District and Robert F. Hagan of the 60th District.
It passed the Ohio Senate’s Criminal Justice Committee Sept. 21, 2011. House Bill 108 must now be passed by the full House of Representatives and Senate before becoming law. It would allow animal abuse charges to go from a misdemeanor to a fifth-degree felony.
“Ohioans can support the bill by getting involved and staying involved until its passage by writing, calling and visiting their elected legislators in person,” said Raab. “Ohio is rated 45th in the nation for their lack of animal cruelty laws and punishments. It’s time for Ohio to get out of the dark ages and be in the top 10, not the bottom five. I would suggest Ohioans first educate their legislators, as I’ve found most of the legislators know very little or nothing at all about the animal laws in Ohio. Most don’t know that it’s a proven fact that most animal abusers go on to abuse humans,” said Raab.
Local animal advocates believe many in the region are unaware of the proposed changes in laws that can protect companion animals. “I feel the general population in our area is not aware about the outdated laws in Ohio and that there is a fight going on now to toughen the laws. People should be contacting their legislators and fighting for this,” said Carper.
Steve Croley was arrested again Dec. 21, 2011 at Austintown for violating the terms of his probation, which was to end Jan. 21. He was found to have dogs on his property. He was found not guilty Jan. 11. The dogs, he claimed, belong to his wife.
Supporters of Nitro’s Law will be holding a peaceful demonstration at the Tuscarawas County Courthouse Feb. 7, from 8 a.m. to noon, the same day the trial of Debra Brown of New Philadelphia begins. Brown is accused of neglecting and abusing more than 100 animals on her Henderson School Road farm in July 2011.
For more information about Nitro’s Law and how you can help, visit their website at http://www.nitrofoundation.com/nitros-law.html or find them on Facebook.
Published: January 25, 2012
