Court Opinion

ID: 9928379
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2024-01-31 17:08:31.100838+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T09:47:54.593162
License: Public Domain

[Cite as State v. Crook, 2024-Ohio-80.]

                              IN THE COURT OF APPEALS OF OHIO
                                 FOURTH APPELLATE DISTRICT
                                       ATHENS COUNTY

State of Ohio,                            :      Case No. 23CA7

        Plaintiff-Appellee,               :
                                                 DECISION AND
        v.                                :      JUDGMENT ENTRY

Rena L. Crook,                            :
                                                 RELEASED 1/8/2024
        Defendant-Appellant.              :

______________________________________________________________________
                            APPEARANCES:

Zachary Tabler, Columbus, Ohio, for appellant.

Jonathan E. Robe, Robe Law Office, Athens, Ohio, for appellee.
______________________________________________________________________
Hess, J.

        {¶1}     Rena L. Crook appeals from a judgment of the Athens County Municipal

Court convicting her of depriving an animal of sustenance in violation of R.C.

959.131(D)(2). In her sole assignment of error, Crook asserts that her conviction was

against the manifest weight of the evidence. For the reasons which follow, we overrule

the assignment of error and affirm the trial court’s judgment.

                             I. FACTS AND PROCEDURAL HISTORY

        {¶2}     In March 2023, Crook was charged via complaint with violating R.C.

959.131(D)(2), a second-degree misdemeanor. She pleaded not guilty, and on April 18,

2023, the matter proceeded to a bench trial. Kristopher Young, deputy dog warden for the

Athens County Dog Shelter, testified that on February 23, 2023, he got a complaint from

Athens County EMS, which reported that Crook had been transported to the hospital, that
Athens App. No. 23CA7                                                                     2

she had taken a dog with her as a service animal, and that the dog was malnourished.

Later that day, he went to Crook’s home. She was outside and screamed at Warden

Young to not take her dog. Her husband, Scott Dexter, calmed her down. Warden Young

asked Crook to get the dog, a Great Dane named Prince. As soon as Crook opened the

door to bring Prince outside, Warden Young could see from about 30 feet away that

Prince was “severely skinny.” As Prince got closer, Warden Young “could see all of his

ribs” and his spine. Prince also had sores on his hips, and his nails were “maybe a little

over an inch long.” When asked if Prince walked “gingerly,” Warden Young testified, “He

had a little bit of stumble to him. I could tell he was a little weak.”

       {¶3}   Crook and Dexter told Warden Young they had been feeding Prince.

However, Prince appeared malnourished to Warden Young, and he impounded Prince.

Prince was not able to jump up into Warden Young’s vehicle, and Crook and Dexter had

to help Warden Young “get him loaded up.” Warden Young took Prince to the dog shelter,

where he was photographed. Four photographs of Prince from that day were admitted

into evidence. Warden Young then took Prince to veterinarian Dr. Marshall Aanestad for

“a well check.” Warden Young saw Prince two more times after that, most recently about

a month before trial. Prince had gained roughly 15 pounds and “was actually able to jump

up into the back of a vehicle on his own.” Warden Young testified that he had no reason

to believe Prince was suffering from parasites or anything that could be eating his fat, but

Warden Young also testified that he did “not have vet training to even consider that.”

Warden Young also gave testimony about other animals in the home.

       {¶4}   Dr. Aanestad testified that on February 23, 2023, he examined Prince, who

was three years old. Dr. Aanestad testified that Prince appeared malnourished. One
Athens App. No. 23CA7                                                                     3

“could clearly see the dog’s ribs, as well as its spine.” On a body condition scale of one

to nine, with one being extremely emaciated and nine being extremely obese, Prince was

a two-and-a-half. Prince was 89 pounds, and Dr. Aanestad testified that he wrote in his

report that the dog should probably weigh 20 or 30 pounds more. On cross-examination,

Dr. Aanestad admitted that in a letter he said that a healthier weight for Prince would be

100 to 120 pounds, i.e., 11 to 31 pounds more. Dr. Aanestad testified that the most

common reason an animal appears malnourished is underfeeding but that there is

“always a possibility of other underlying diseases.” Dr. Aanestad testified that if a dog

appears malnourished but is otherwise healthy, he does not run bloodwork to rule out

those other diseases. He did not “do full diagnostics” on Prince. When asked, “And did

you have any recommendations as far as the dog being underweight [inaudible] feed it?”

Dr. Aanestad testified, “certainly [inaudible] bloodwork would be warranted just to make

sure that there was not something else going on. We did run a heartworm test at the time

just to rule out any possibility of heartworms or [inaudible] tapeworm diseases. That’s

kind of just the standard diagnostic when [inaudible] the dog shelter.”

       {¶5}   Dr. Aanestad testified that Prince also had “a lot of debris in both ears” and

had “a pretty severe infection in both ears.” In addition, Prince had “very long toenails”

which were “curling around.” Prince’s ears were cleaned, he was given ear medications,

and his nails were cut. Dr. Aanestad testified that feeding or not feeding Prince would

“[n]ot necessarily” affect his nails and would not affect his ear infections. When asked if

he could conclude whether Prince was being cared for properly, Dr. Aanestad testified:

“Based on my findings, I would think that somebody was not taking care of this dog.

Simply because someone would have noticed that it did have an ear infection. You know,
Athens App. No. 23CA7                                                                    4

most anybody could tell that it was very skinny, and you know, probably should have

additional care.”

       {¶6}   Dexter testified that on October 4, 2022, Crook acquired Prince. At the time,

Prince looked the “[s]ame as the day that [Warden Young] came and picked him up,

skinny.” Prince would not eat, so Dexter and Crook contacted the dog shelter. They

explained that they were trying to rescue Prince, and Dexter asked for advice on getting

him to eat. Dexter also sought advice from a veterinarian’s office. Dexter and Crook “tried

to feed” Prince and “nurse him back to health.” Dexter got a pound of bologna for Prince.

Dexter then tried mixing tuna in Prince’s food, and Prince ate it. After that, Prince ate

“regular dog food” and “started gaining weight.” Crook was typically responsible for

feeding Prince and did so maybe three to five times a day. Dexter and his daughter,

Tamara Ritchie, also fed the dog. Dexter testified that normally he and Crook bought

Prince’s food and that they bought five to seven bags a month. Dexter testified that

Defense Exhibit 1 was a photograph he took in January 2023 of five bags of dog food

which collectively weighed 264 pounds. He testified that every month he bought Prince

an amount of food similar to that shown in the photograph. When asked if Prince ever

had trouble walking, Dexter testified that Prince “looked like he was kind of sore in the

back,” like he had “arthritis or something like that.” Dexter testified that he had to help

Prince into Warden Young’s truck because he “was scared and petrified.”

       {¶7}   Ritchie testified that she lived with Prince beginning in December 2022 and

gave him food and water daily. However, Crook was mostly responsible for feeding him

and did so three times a day. Ritchie testified that Prince’s food was stored in “big old

totes,” that Defense Exhibit 2 was a photograph of “two big totes of dog food,” and that
Athens App. No. 23CA7                                                                  5

the totes were in the home before she moved into it. During cross-examination, Ritchie

admitted the dog food in Defense Exhibit 1 and totes in Defense Exhibit 2 were purchased

the day Prince was impounded. However, she claimed the photographs depicted the

amount of dog food usually in the home. And she testified that there were “[a]lways totes

in the house,” but they “were old,” and the new ones were purchased because “the dog

warden was like, hey, you need to have a big, you know, totes for the—for Prince [sic].

And we did that.”

      {¶8}   The trial court found Crook guilty, stating:

      [W]hat I need to rule on at this point in time is the 959.131 D2 charge. While
      there were indications of other concerns, those are not part of the issue
      before the court. The other animals that were in the home and were in
      different levels of health are also not part of today’s hearing. And what I’ll
      have to rule on is whether or not there was necessary sustenance. * * *
      [T]he remaining issue is whether or not the animal was receiving necessary
      sustenance so that it would not suffer in any way as a result of the
      deprivation of that necessary sustenance. I would’ve liked to have known
      whether or not there was a parasite or something else that could have led
      to the malnourishment of Prince. The photographs are very compelling.
      Prince was significantly underweight, and that’s obvious from these
      photographs. The testimony of Dr. Aanestad confirms that, and that raises
      the issue of the concern about the nourishment and the sufficiency of that
      necessary sustenance. If I had not had the testimony that Prince had put
      on 15 pounds without treatment for parasites or for other potential reasons
      for the non-nourishment, then I would not have found that there was proof
      beyond a reasonable doubt in this case. But I do have that testimony. He
      has put on 15 pounds in a relatively short period of time since being taken
      into the custody of the dog shelter. And that I find compelling. I will find
      that Prince was not provided with the necessary sustenance and that
      includes having enough of it, not just that there was food. I’ll accept that
      there was testimony that he was being fed, but he wasn’t being fed enough
      and he needed more. So I’ll make the finding of guilty on the charge * * *.

The court imposed a 30-day jail term and $200 fine, which it suspended on conditions of

probation. The court also ordered that Prince be forfeited to the dog shelter.
Athens App. No. 23CA7                                                                        6

                              II. ASSIGNMENT OF ERROR

      {¶9}   Crook presents one assignment of error: “Appellant’s conviction of Deprive

Animal of Sustenance was in error due to the manifest weight of the evidence.”

                                 III. LAW AND ANALYSIS

      {¶10} In the sole assignment of error, Crook asserts that her conviction was

against the manifest weight of the evidence. In determining whether a conviction is

against the manifest weight of the evidence, an appellate court

      must review the entire record, weigh the evidence and all reasonable
      inferences, consider the credibility of witnesses, and determine whether, in
      resolving conflicts in the evidence, the trier of fact clearly lost its way and
      created such a manifest miscarriage of justice that reversal of the conviction
      is necessary. In order to satisfy this test, the state must introduce
      substantial evidence on all the elements of an offense, so that the jury can
      find guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.

      Although a court of appeals may determine that a judgment of a trial court
      is sustained by sufficient evidence, that court may nevertheless conclude
      that the judgment is against the weight of the evidence. However, we are
      reminded that generally, it is the role of the jury to determine the weight and
      credibility of evidence. “ ‘A jury, sitting as the trier of fact, is free to believe
      all, part or none of the testimony of any witness who appears before it.’ ”
      State v. Reyes-Rosales, 4th Dist. Adams No. 15CA1010, 2016-Ohio-3338,
      ¶ 17, quoting State v. West, 4th Dist. Scioto No. 12CA3507, 2014-Ohio-
      1941, ¶ 23. We defer to the trier of fact on these evidentiary weight and
      credibility issues because it is in the best position to gauge the witnesses’
      demeanor, gestures, and voice inflections, and to use these observations
      to weigh their credibility.

(Citations omitted.) State v. Anderson, 4th Dist. Highland No. 18CA14, 2019-Ohio-395,

¶ 14-15.

      {¶11} R.C. 959.131(D)(2) states

      No person who confines or who is the custodian or caretaker of a
      companion animal shall negligently do any of the following:

      ***
Athens App. No. 23CA7                                                                    7

      (2) Deprive the companion animal of necessary sustenance or confine the
      companion animal without supplying it during the confinement with sufficient
      quantities of good, wholesome food and water if it can reasonably be
      expected that the companion animal would become sick or suffer in any
      other way as a result of or due to the deprivation or confinement[.]

      {¶12} Crook maintains that the state did not prove beyond a reasonable doubt

that she deprived Prince of necessary sustenance. Crook asserts that “Dr. Aanestad

testified that he did not think someone was taking care of the dog, simply because such

a person would have noticed that Prince had an ear infection, although Dr. Aanestad then

stated that feeding or not feeding the dog would not have any effect on an ear infection.”

Crook also asserts that even though there are many potential causes of an animal being

underweight, such as disease, and Dr. Aanestad testified that bloodwork would be

warranted to ensure there was “ ‘not something else going on,’ ” “neither bloodwork nor

a full diagnostics was ever completed to make such a determination.” Instead, Dr.

Aanestad “just concluded that Prince was ‘malnourished’ without further investigation.”

And “[w]ithout bloodwork or other diagnostic testing to rule out underlying disease, the

Court simply concluded that Prince was not provided with necessary sustenance.”

      {¶13} Crook asserts that the trial court “seemingly fail[ed] to consider that perhaps

Prince was a selective eater.” Crook maintains that “[t]his would explain why Prince

refused to eat when” she “first adopted him but ‘tore up’ a bowl of food mixed with [t]una

and ate a pound of bologna.” Crook asserts that “[t]his would further explain why Prince

was underweight when” she got him and “appeared to be the same weight throughout

[her] ownership as she fed him only regular dog food and then [he] immediately gained

weight when taken out of [her] care.” [Id.] She asserts that “[p]erhaps * * * he was

provided with a different brand of dog food that was much preferred.” Crook claims “[t]his
Athens App. No. 23CA7                                                                      8

explanation is further in line with testimony that multiple individuals, including [her],

provided Prince with dog food on a daily basis, yet [he] still looked the same while in [her]

care.”

         {¶14} After weighing the evidence and all reasonable inferences, considering the

credibility of the witnesses after according the requisite deference to the trial court’s

determinations, we conclude that in resolving evidentiary conflicts, the trial court did not

clearly lose its way or create a manifest miscarriage of justice so that we must reverse

Crook’s conviction.      Crook’s suggestion that Prince was skinny at the time of

impoundment because he was a selective eater is not supported by the evidence

presented at trial. Although Dexter testified that Prince initially would not eat in October

2022, Dexter also testified that after he mixed tuna into Prince’s food, Prince ate regular

dog food. Dexter and Ritchie testified that Prince was fed multiple times a day. Their

testimony suggests that Prince was skinny at the time of impoundment in February 2023

despite eating multiple times a day, not that he was skinny at that time because he was

a selective eater and was not consuming the food provided.

         {¶15} The trial court concluded that Prince was being fed but that he was not being

fed enough, and evidence supports that conclusion. The state presented testimony and

photographic evidence showing that on February 23, 2023, Prince was extremely skinny.

Warden Young and Dr. Aanestad testified that Prince’s ribs and spine were visible. Dr.

Aanestad rated Prince a two-and-a-half on a body condition scale of one to nine, with one

being extremely emaciated and nine being extremely obese. Although Dr. Aanestad did

not test Prince for medical issues aside from heartworms and tapeworms, Warden Young

testified that he saw Prince about a month before trial, i.e., around March 18, 2023, and
Athens App. No. 23CA7                                                                9

the dog had gained about 15 pounds. The fact that within roughly 23 days of removal

from Crook’s care, Prince gained about 15 pounds without any weight-related medical

treatment is circumstantial evidence that the reason Prince had been underweight was

that Crook negligently deprived him of necessary sustenance. “[C]ircumstantial evidence

carries the same weight as direct evidence.”     State v. Arthur, 4th Dist. Scioto No.

01CA2818, 2002-Ohio-3764, ¶ 19.

       {¶16} For the foregoing reasons, we conclude that Crook’s conviction was not

against the manifest weight of the evidence. We overrule the sole assignment of error

and affirm the trial court’s judgment.

                                                             JUDGMENT AFFIRMED.
Athens App. No. 23CA7                                                                    10

                                   JUDGMENT ENTRY

         It is ordered that the JUDGMENT IS AFFIRMED and that appellant shall pay the
costs.

         The Court finds there were reasonable grounds for this appeal.

      It is ordered that a special mandate issue out of this Court directing the Athens
County Municipal Court to carry this judgment into execution.

       IF A STAY OF EXECUTION OF SENTENCE AND RELEASE UPON BAIL HAS
BEEN PREVIOUSLY GRANTED BY THE TRIAL COURT OR THIS COURT, it is
temporarily continued for a period not to exceed 60 days upon the bail previously posted.
The purpose of a continued stay is to allow appellant to file with the Supreme Court of
Ohio an application for a stay during the pendency of proceedings in that court. If a stay
is continued by this entry, it will terminate at the earlier of the expiration of the 60-day
period, or the failure of the appellant to file a notice of appeal with the Supreme Court of
Ohio in the 45-day appeal period pursuant to Rule II, Sec. 2 of the Rules of Practice of
the Supreme Court of Ohio. Additionally, if the Supreme Court of Ohio dismisses the
appeal prior to expiration of 60 days, the stay will terminate as of the date of such
dismissal.

      A certified copy of this entry shall constitute the mandate pursuant to Rule 27 of
the Rules of Appellate Procedure.

Smith, P.J. & Abele, J.: Concur in Judgment and Opinion.

                                          For the Court

                                          BY: ________________________
                                              Michael D. Hess, Judge

                                 NOTICE TO COUNSEL

       Pursuant to Local Rule No. 14, this document constitutes a final judgment
entry and the time period for further appeal commences from the date of filing with
the clerk.