A Greenfield man was found guilty recently of a second-degree misdemeanor animal abandonment charge and was ordered not to own any more animals.
A Chillicothe Municipal Court judge also ordered Brian Hamilton, 44, to forfeit any current animal he owns to the Ross County Humane Society, pay a $50 fine, and complete 15 hours of community service. He was also placed on probation for one year, according to the Fayette Regional Humane Society (FRHS).
FRHS said that while a family was traveling on Thrifton Road in Ross County, they found a kitten in a box under a train trestle bridge. FRHS humane agents Brad Adams and Nick Marando reportedly tracked down Hamilton and Sharon Bowles, 63, of Greenfield, in September after a shipping label was found on the box.
Bowles told agents that they decided not to keep the kitten after they acquired it from a friend, and within two miles from the kitten’s previous home, they stopped their vehicle and left the kitten under the bridge, according to FRHS.
Bowles was also charged with abandoning animals, a second-degree misdemeanor. She has a pretrial hearing scheduled in Chillicothe Municipal Court on Jan. 7.
“I am pleased that the judge ordered Hamilton not to own any more animals,” said Marando. “If a person can’t be responsible with the life of an animal, they don’t need any.”
The Ross County Humane Society entered into a contract with the Fayette Regional Humane Society in May to provide humane agent services. Since the contract went into effect, FRHS has investigated more than 30 reports of cruelty to animals.
Animal cruelty can be reported to FRHS at 740-335-8126 or the Ross County Humane Society at 740-775-6808.
The Fayette Regional Humane Society is a non-profit (501(c)(3), volunteer organization. They receive less than 2 percent of their support from governmental organizations and therefore must rely on donations, grants and fundraising to carry out their mission. The Humane Society is the only organization in Fayette County able to respond to calls about abused, neglected and injured domestic animals, 24 hours per day, seven days per week. To learn more about the Fayette Regional Humane Society, please visit their website at www.fayettehumanesociety.com
