Deputy dog warden charged with abuse

Accused of depriving animals of food, water on multiple occasions

WARREN -- A deputy warden at the Trumbull County Dog Pound faces four charges related to animal abuse and neglect.

Charles Parks, 48, of Sweetbriar Street, will be arraigned Sept. 9 in Warren Municipal Court on two counts of depriving animals food and water, and two counts of animal cruelty.

Each misdemeanor charge could carry up to 90 days in jail and a $750 fine.

Trumbull County Animal Welfare League humane agents investigated after receiving a complaint from county dog warden Michelle Goss, according to a statement from AWL CEO Lorilyn Shandor. Ohio Revised Code requires any person appointed to act as an animal control officer to report immediately any possible abuse of which they become aware.

The alleged incident involves Parks, who still is employed at the pound, not feeding or providing water for animals on more than one occasion when he was the sole employee tasked with providing this care, according to the AWL.

The statement notes because of the employee and volunteer schedules at the pound, this meant the dogs allegedly would have been without food, water, medication and other care for at least 48 hours.

"It is a crime to fail to provide a dog with sufficient quantities of good, wholesome food and water where it could reasonably be expected that the dog would become sick or suffer in any other way as a result of or due to the deprivation and to fail to provide other necessary care," the AWL statement reads. "Defendants are innocent until proven guilty."

But the humane agents determined a crime did occur after reviewing records and hours of surveillance footage and conducting interviews with staff and volunteers at the pound. Charges were filed Monday.

Parks has worked for the dog warden's office since 2018.

According to a volunteer at the kennel, four deputy wardens rotate weekend shifts. It was on weekends, when there were about 14 animals, when Park allegedly did not feed the animals once per day.

This matter has been the topic of more than one executive session by the Trumbull County commissioners.