Man receives sentence for dog left alone in Niles home

NILES, Ohio (WKBN) – A Niles Municipal Court judge sentenced a man who police said left a dog alone in a home without access to food or water.

The judge sentenced Dean Kirsch to one year of probation and also permanently banned him from owning any animals, according to court records.

Kirsch pleaded guilty to a charge of animal cruelty during a hearing on Wednesday.

The 8-year-old dog, now named Iggy, was found alone inside a house on Hyde Avenue on Sept. 1 when a concerned neighbor called police.

The caller said no one had been at the house for at least a week, and the dog was frantically trying to get out.

Police said when officers went to check on the dog, the house was found to be vacant, with animal waste throughout the house.

Police added that the dog had no access to food or water and looked thin.

The Healthy Hearts and Paws Project took Iggy in.

Nadine Grimley contributed to this report.

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