Local man pleads guilty to animal abuse charges in Carroll County
CARROLLTON (WJER) (March 23, 2022) – A Gnadenhutten man who reportedly left several dogs and cats in a Sherrodsville-area home for weeks without food and water has been ordered to spend four to six months in a community-based correctional facility.
27-year-old Eddy Starnes is required to report to the Eastern Ohio Corrections Center at the end of March under the sentence handed down Tuesday by Carroll County Common Pleas Court Judge Michael Repella. County Prosecutor Steven Barnett described the animals as being “in various states of bad health” during an interview with WJER back in September.
“Some of the animals were deceased, some were taken by humane officers and they’re being cared for but it essentially involves dogs and cats.”
Humane Society investigators discovered the animals while executing a search warrant at the home on July 20th. Starnes during Tuesday’s hearing pleaded guilty to nine felony counts of prohibitions against companion animals and had nine misdemeanor charges dismissed. He will be on probation for three years following his release from the corrections center and is prohibited from owning companion animals. The judge reserved a prison term as a possible penalty for future infractions.