The post said the dog “spent four long miserable years in hell but he got the home of a lifetime with Gail.”
After Joseph was rescued, he stayed at a veterinarian for one month, then was adopted. He had heart worm treatments and ear infections, but eventually gained 40 pounds.
During the past several months, Joseph started having seizures and it was thought that he had a brain tumor, the post said.
“We need to remember what he started,” the post said. “He will never be forgotten.”
The Middletown man responsible for the mistreatment of Joseph spent five days in Middletown jail three years ago.
Jeremy Temple, 41, pleaded no contest in November 2013 to the charge of cruelty to a companion animal in Middletown Municipal Court and visiting Judge Larry Moore found him guilty. Moore sentenced Temple to 90 days in jail, with 85 days suspended. He was fined $150 for the cruelty charge and told to pay PAWS Adoption Center restitution of $3,766.53 — the cost of the medical expenses for the German Shepherd.
Temple also was placed on probation for two years.
A Middletown police officer and Butler County dog wardens responded to 4908 Roosevelt Ave. on Sept. 27, 2013, after receiving an anonymous complaint that a German Shepherd was being mistreated at the home. Dog wardens said the German Shepherd was tied to a tree, and a Pomeranian was in a fenced-in area.
Temple initially told officers the dog normally lost a lot of weight, according to the police report.
About the Author
