Amanda L. Engle, 29, has been charged with one count of abandoning animals. She was scheduled to appear in Clark County Municipal Court on Tuesday morning and the case was continued until Thursday, court records say.
Engle allegedly brought a white dog with black spots to the Clark County Dog Shelter on Jan. 26, according to an affidavit from the Clark County Dog Warden’s Office.
She allegedly told the shelter she found the dog in Moorefield Twp. near Villa Road and Ohio 72 and believed it had been struck by a car, according to the court records.
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The next day a veterinarian told shelter officials the dog had an old break in its back hip area, meaning the injury was likely not caused by a car, court records say.
On Feb. 3, a third party source contacted the shelter on Facebook, claiming Engle knew the dog’s owner and who caused the injury, the court records say.
On March 1, Engle allegedly told shelter officials the dog belonged to her and that it was injured by a man she knows after it was slammed onto the floor, causing a broken hip, the report says.
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Engle allegedly took the dog to a Springfield animal hospital on Oct. 1o but was unable to pay for surgery, the report says.
She admitted to bringing the dog to the shelter so that it could receive care and falsified information, the report says.
Engle told the Springfield News-Sun on Wednesday afternoon she did everything she could to get the dog help, including starting a GoFundMe on Facebook to raise money for the surgery. She also asked friends to post in Facebook groups asking for help for the dog. She also called several shelters and were told they couldn’t help the dog, Engle said.
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“I couldn’t afford to get the dog treated and now I’m being charged,” Engle said. “I did try my best. I tried to get the dog help.”
Engle said she had no other option to leave the dog at the county shelter.
“It was the only thing I could do to get help,” Engle said.
The Dog Warden’s Office told Engle there’s not enough evidence to charge the person responsible for the dog’s injury.
Engle is seeking a public defender and plans to fight the charge, she said. A charge of abandoning animals is a second degree misdemeanor and faces a penalty of up 90 days in jail or a $750 fine if convicted.
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