A man from Ohio was recently fined a mere $25 and arrested for keeping his dog chained to a tree for four years. An investigation was launched after reports of animal mistreatment at the home, leading officials to find a severely malnourished German Shepherd tied up in the backyard with minimal access to food and water. The owner, Jeremy Shane Temple, was subsequently taken into custody from his Middletown residence.
Joseph the dog had a rough life. For a whole four years, he was tied up to a tree with nothing but his skin and bones. It’s heartbreaking to think about how lonely and miserable he must have been all that time.
The fact that this unfortunate German Shepard is still alive after all that he has endured is truly remarkable and astonishing.
A heart-wrenching incident occurred when Toby, a German shepherd, was discovered chained to a tree in his owner’s backyard. The poor creature was deprived of food and water and had clearly been neglected for some time. The owner, identified as Mr Temple, attempted to deceive his concerned neighbors by saying that Toby was suffering from a disease that caused him to appear emaciated. When questioned by the authorities about the dog’s terrible living conditions, Mr Temple callously stated that “the dog is not a human.” It was later revealed that Toby, who was renamed Joseph by the staff at the non-profit PAWS Adoption Center, had been owned by Mr Temple for four years and was usually kept outside. The suspect tried to justify the animal’s skeletal appearance by claiming that the dog normally shed a significant amount of weight during the summer months. Joseph was found to be malnourished, covered in sores and tick bites. The PAWS Adoption Center staff chose to name him Joseph in honor of the biblical character who overcame adversity to become a great leader.
Jeremy Shane Temple, the owner of the dogs in Middletown, has been charged by the local police for various animal-related offenses. Despite the severity of the charges, Temple was only fined a mere $25. The charges against him include animal torture, keeping his dogs chained, and owning an unlicensed dog.
The clinic manager, Mike Gigis, expressed his shock and dismay at the condition of ‘Joseph’, a dog that was brought to the Westchester Veterinary Center by the Middletown police and volunteers from PAWS. According to Gigis, he has seen some really bad cases, but ‘Joseph’ is the worst he has ever seen. The poor dog’s hair is falling out due to malnutrition, and most of his teeth are missing, not from chewing on rocks or bricks, but because they were knocked out. ‘Joseph’ should weigh around 120 pounds, but he currently weighs less than half of that due to his severe starvation and illness. He is literally skin and bones. Additionally, ‘Joseph’ has never been vaccinated, and he has heartworms and a severe ear infection, making his condition even more critical.
Farewell Toby, Welcome Joseph: Members of the animal rescue team and veterinarians who saved a dog’s life decided to give him a biblical name, Joseph, acknowledging that his survival was a miracle.
Discovered just in the nick of time, a malnourished and ill dog was saved on Friday thanks to the efforts of law enforcement and animal welfare organizations who are now working to nurse him back to health.
Joseph, who was found emaciated and with multiple tick bites and missing teeth, weighed only 60lbs when rescued by the police. It was discovered that he had been chained to a tree for several years behind a house in Middletown. Meg Melampy, a volunteer who assisted in his rescue, removed his chains on Friday and expressed her sadness upon seeing him. According to her, Joseph looked pitiful with his head hanging low and a melancholic expression on his face. He was tethered to the tree without any food, water, blanket, or straw – nothing at all for this poor dog.
Unbearable suffering: While giving Joey a much-needed bath, the animal rescue volunteer was horrified to see blood oozing from his skin that was ravaged by fleas.
Harsh: Over the past three months, Middletown, Ohio has seen four cruel instances of animal cruelty, but the most recent one is the most egregious.
A Shepherd dog in Middletown was discovered to have heartworms and a severe ear infection. The dog had never been vaccinated and was found chained to a tree for years behind a home. PAWS volunteer Meg Melampy recounted that during a bath, blood from numerous flea bites ran off the dog’s body. Clinic manager Mike Gigis stated that this was the worst case of animal abuse he had ever seen. The dog weighed only 60lbs and had lost most of his teeth due to malnourishment, according to Gigis. The rescue center has already spent $1,200 on medical expenses for the dog, with further costs expected to exceed $2,500.
Temple is currently in legal trouble due to allegations of animal cruelty. The charges stem from the fact that he kept his pet restrained to a tree for a period of four years.
The journey towards healing: A team of veterinarians and dedicated volunteers are working tirelessly to nurse the dog back to health and ultimately search for a loving home for him.
Expensive: Currently, the medical expenses for “Joseph” have accumulated to approximately $1,200, and treating his heartworm disease alone could reach up to $2,500. Additionally, after Temple’s arrest, a relative of his managed to obtain a letter from a local resident attesting that there was no evidence of animal abuse. Apart from being fined $25, Temple faces charges of cruelty to a companion animal, owning an unlicensed dog, and improper chaining or tethering. His court appearance is scheduled for next week. According to Michael Gigis, the manager of the West Chester veterinary clinic, Joseph is recuperating well and showing signs of improvement. The ultimate goal is to put him up for adoption once he is fully recovered.