GEORGETOWN – A dog and cat are now in the possession of the Brown County Humane Society after an animal abandonment case came to and end on Thursday, Jan. 28.

Brittaney French was found guilty on animal abandonment in Brown County Municipal Court on Jan. 28 from a complaint by Deputy Dog Warden Barbara Ashmore in August 2015. French was sentenced to a suspended 90 day jail sentence, one year of probation, pay fines and court cost in the amount of $293, and must pay restitution to the Brown County Humane Society for care for her animals.

According to Ashmore, French was in the process of being evicted from her home and she moved out, leaving behind her English mastiff and cat. Ashmore responded to the call from a neighbor that the animals may have been abandoned.

“The dog had an injured leg and was very malnourished,” Ashmore said. “The cat was almost dead. It had a cut on it with maggots inside of it.”

Ashmore said she is seeing more and more people leaving their animals behind when they leave their homes. While the complaint against French was filed in August, it took months to catch up with her and have the court serve her.

Ashmore said Nick Owens, assistant prosecutor, played a vital role in pursing the case against French. Ashmore said Owens did an excellent job in helping hold people accountable for their actions.

French is not the only recent county resident to be held accountable for their actions in abandoning animals. Madison Bostic, of Mt. Orab, was found guilty of animal abandonment in December. She was ordered by the court to pay a $100 fine and $187.49 in court cost along with a suspended 90-day sentence, one year of probation and 40 hours on community service for her involvement in an abandonment case.

In October, Deputy Dog Warden Greg Reed responded to a call in Mt. Orab that two dogs had been left abandoned. According to court documents, Reed observed two pit bull terriers appearing to be “severely emaciated, the ribs, the spine and hip bones were protruding.” Reed also said the male showed signs of dehydration and white gums. The house, a single wide trailer contained no contents and appeared to be abandoned. Reed also observed a couch, mattress, and trash in the yard of the property. Animal Shelter records indicated that Bostic was the owner of the two dogs in question. It was not the first time the Dog Warden had been to the property. During summer 2015, Reed and Warden Josh Davis were dispatched to the property where they observed dogs running loose. The two dogs mentioned in the complaint were the same dogs and were observed healthy. Reed taped the door of the property and returned the next day. No changes to the status of the animals had been made by Oct. 22. They had gone without food or water for at least one day and were taken to the animal shelter. The complaint said the male dog had significant signs of scarring to his body and numerous broken teeth. The complaint indicated it may have been from the result of fighting with other animals.

By Brian Durham

bdurham@civitasmedia.com

Reach Brian Durham at 937-378-6161 or on Twitter @brianD1738.