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Joseph Lee pleaded guilty Monday to fifth-degree felony cruelty to companion animals. Earlier this year, Lee had been accused of causing serious injury to a then-4-month-old Husky puppy. His sentence was set for Aug. 28 and he faces one year of incarceration.
Lee's trial had been set for Aug. 17, but Belmont County Prosecutor Kevin Flanagan informed Common Pleas Judge John Vavra Monday that a plea agreement had been reached.
Flanagan added there was no agreed-upon sentence and the state would stand silent.
Lee, 29, of New Jersey, originally faced three charges of cruelty to companion animals, two of them misdemeanor counts each carrying charges of six months in jail. The two misdemeanors were dismissed.
Vavra will review the facts of the case before sentence. A pre-sentence investigation and Eastern Ohio Correction Center evaluation were ordered.
Afterward, Flanagan said the misdemeanors were dropped since they could not run consecutively.
"The reason why we filed the misdemeanors was because if the jury doesn't find there's serious physical harm, then they find the misdemeanors," Flanagan said.
He said there have been more felony-level animal cruelty prosecutions since Goddard's Law was passed in Ohio in 2016, making it a felony of the fifth degree to cause serious physical harm to an animal.
Flanagan also commended the humane group Belmont County Hoof & Paw and humane agent Julie Larish for actively investigating these cases and gathering evidence.
"This case was a case that Hoof & Paw and Ms. Larish had received a report, started an active investigation probably a month previous, continued to get reports and they were very aggressive in the way they had received these reports. They got law enforcement involved and eventually took ownership of the animal," Flangan said. "They got the animal to a vet, who found multiple fractures. Some were fairly new, others were in various stages of healing, so with that, that was actually the main reason we were able to move forward on the case. Without the involvement of Hoof & Paw, that simply would not have been possible. ... Hats off to the people of that agency and what they've done."
Flanagan said the evidence and nature of the injuries suggest the abuse may have gone on for at least a month.
Larish's organization is caring for the dog.
"I want the max sentence," Larish said. "That doesn't always happen but I am hoping for the max sentence because this little dog did not deserve this at all. She's the most lovable, huggable dog you could ask for, and I still have her with me and she will be here until who knows how long."
While the husky is recovering, Larish said the animal will require long-term care.