WARREN — A city woman pleaded guilty last week to a misdemeanor charge of cruelty to companion animals in a neglect case that resulted in her dog having to be euthanized.

Stephanie Swegan, 54, of Oak Knoll Avenue SE, pleaded guilty before Trumbull County Common Pleas Court Judge Cynthia Westcott Rice. Swegan and Thomas R. Leimkuehler, 43, were accused of abusing their pet dog at their home, which was found in deplorable condition.

The dog was found in an emaciated state on May 10, 2025, and had to be euthanized. Leimkuehler pleaded guilty to the same charge Jan. 8 and also is awaiting sentencing, court records show.

The pair was indicted in June on a fifth-degree felony charge of prohibitions concerning companion animals, but it was reduced to a misdemeanor in exchange for their pleas.

The charges stem from May 10, when Warren police, responding to a call around 3:20 p.m. to assist a resident retrieving belongings, discovered a female dog, later named “Baby” by rescuers, in severe distress.

According to a Warren police report, the dog was found chained to a basement handrail, emaciated, dehydrated and lying on bloodied steps with a large, ruptured abdominal mass oozing infection. The area was littered with feces and urine, with no food or water available, and the stench of decay was overwhelming.

Veterinary tests revealed the dog’s body temperature was 93 degrees Fahrenheit, with a calcified mass indicating prolonged neglect. Due to her unrecoverable condition, the dog was euthanized.

Jason Cooke, CEO of the Healthy Hearts and Paws Project, was on scene and called the case one of the worst instances of animal cruelty he had witnessed. Cooke said Leimkuehler claimed the mass had ruptured recently and a veterinarian had deemed it “fine,” but admitted no recent veterinary care was sought. Cooke disputed this, citing evidence of long-term neglect.