WARREN — A city man received 45 days in jail and two years of probation for an animal neglect case that resulted in a dog having to be euthanized.

Thomas R. Leimkuehler, 44, Oak Knoll Avenue SE, pleaded guilty last week to one count of cruelty against companion animals. The judge also ordered Leimkuehler to serve 45 days of his 180-day jail sentence, with the remaining 135 days suspended.

Leimkuehler also was ordered to complete 200 hours of community service and pay $321 in restitution to an animal charity. He was also prohibited from purchasing any type of animal for a pet during the time of his probation.

Animal control officer Jason Cooke told the judge the defendant needed to go to jail.

His girlfriend, Stephanie Swegan, 54, pleaded guilty to the same charge and will be sentenced Wednesday, according to Trumbull County Common Pleas Court records. They originally were charged with a fifth-degree felony, 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 10-year-old 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. Because of her unrecoverable condition, the dog was euthanized.

Cooke, who also runs the Healthy Hearts and Paws rescue in Warren, said it was one of the worst animal neglect cases he had ever seen.