Dogs' remains found at home

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Dogs' remains found at home
By Andale Gross
Beacon Journal staff writer

Humane officers were alerted Tuesday about the smell of dead dogs coming from a Euclid Avenue home.

They found anadult pit bull buried in a shallow grave in the yard. A leg bone and part of a skull -- remains of another dog -- were found in a trash can beside the house.

A Rottweiler-mix puppy was crouched inside an unused furnace in the basement -- it later died from anemia caused by fleas. Another puppy and an adult dog, also Rottweiler mixes, were alive but sickly.

Akron police arrested Marshal Barber, who lives at the house in the 700 block of Euclid. Barber, 25, is charged with cruelty to animals and improperly disposing of an animal. Both are misdemeanors.

He is free on a $2,500 signature bond. A pretrial hearing is scheduled for Sept. 18 in Akron Municipal Court. A public defender will represent him in court.

``This is a sad case, but at least we were able to save two of the dogs,'' said Tim Harland, senior humane officer with the Humane Society of Greater Akron. ``They might not have made it had we not gotten them out of there.''

Humane officers say Barber left the dogs unattended when he was away from the house for an extended period recently.

``He should have had someone take care of them,'' humane officer Reagan Payne said.

Authorities went to Barber's house twice Tuesday. Barber was not at home during their initial visit, but he was there when they returned with a search warrant.

Humane officers found a hole and a rake in the yard.

``We think we got there before he covered the dog up with dirt,'' Harland said. ``It appeared he hurriedly tried to dispose of the bodies.''

Animal feces and blood were on the basement floor. A metal container in the basement that appeared to be set out for the dogs contained no food or water.

No one answered the door at Barber's house Thursday. Neighbors were hesitant to talk about him or his pets.

The surviving puppy and adult dog are being kept at the Humane Society shelter in Boston Township. The puppy had fleas and lice and its belly bulges with worms.

Eventually, humane officers want to find someone to adopt the animals, but the dogs must remain at the shelter while the matter goes through court.

Harland said the animals' poor conditions came from days of neglect. He doesn't know how long they suffered.

``It was neglect of average daily care and veterinary care,'' he said.