Former dog warden employee acquitted of animal cruelty - 13abc.com Toledo (OH) News, Weather and Sports

Former dog warden employee acquitted of animal cruelty

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A judge throws out the case of a former employee at the dog wardens accused of grabbing a dog by the throat and throwing it in a kennel. The alleged abuse was caught on tape.

The former employee spent 25 days in jail for a crime the judge says he did not commit.

Aaron Nova appeared relieved after a judge acquitted him of animal cruelty charges. Nova always maintained he was innocent. He told a reporter he worked hard to care for the animals.

"I took it very seriously I still do to this day," said former Dog Warden employee Aaron Nova

Nova's trial started today but ended quickly. July of last year Lucas County Dog Warden Julie Lyle testified she was looking for information involving another matter when she came across this video. The dog named Marbles chewed through his leash.

The prosecutor argued when Nova saw Marbles loose he picked up the dog by the neck and abused it.

"Holds him like this walks him down a little hallway of about 6 to 7 cages then at that point Marbles is slammed into a kennel door," said Prosecutor Sharon Gaich.

Nova's lawyer says that's not what happened. He argued there was urine near the cages and his client slipped as he picked the dog up to put him back in his cage.

"The rest of the incident was an emergency situation he was trying as they testified to he was just trying to get that animal back into the cage without causing any injury to himself that dog or injury to other dogs if they interacted that's all he was trying to do and that was clear from the tape. he wasn't trying to hurt that dog," said defense attorney Jerome Phillips.

The Dog Warden and a Humane Society investigator both testified. The Dog Warden says there are no catch poles in that area and the dogs do not wear collars. Nova's attorney asked for the case to be throw out due to lack of evidence. The judge agreed.

"I think what we have here is some evidence that the defendant did not treat the dog properly as a kennel worker and thee human society should treat an animal I am not making that finding because it is not in front of me but I'm saying there is some evidence of that I don not believes there's is evidence of cruelty," said Judge Timothy Kuhlman.

Nova did not say if he plans to fight to get his job back.

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