It started as a joyous occasion, the pup that spent the most time at Angel’s for Animals was finally getting a forever home.

A man named Jarrod Kish excitedly asked to adopt the dog who’d been there longest, and that dog was Jake.

“Jake was brought in as a dog that was left abandoned on the side of the road somewhere,” said Sherry Bankey, cat/dog kennel manager. “Somebody had taken him to vet care and brought him to us so he had a rough start to begin with,” she said.

When Kish walked through the door though, everything changed.

“He was very attentive to Jake, Jake was all over him, love at first sight, so we thought this was a good home for Jake,” Bankey said.

One day, Kish’s neighbor called the police for alleged animal cruelty, according to a police report, after he heard the dog screaming, yelping, and being stomped on.

“It broke everyone’s heart because we would have never sent another dog or cat into a home that was a possibility,” Bankey said.
Bankey says they vet adopters, but sometimes it’s not enough, so they plan on teaming up with other agencies for a more thorough process.

“In January, we’re going to send out a letter to all the local shelters and pounds to have a meet and greet with all of us so we can do better,” said Bankey.

This situation landed Jake at Animal Charity of Ohio where they took him in and cared for him.

“He had severely bulging eyes that were very bloodshot, and he had an extremely tender and sore trachea,” Aimal Charity of Ohio Director Jane Macmurchy said.

Macmurchy tells 21 News abuse is being seen more often in local adoption cases.

“Before we would see one every year, one every other year, and unfortunately have had seven in the last twelve months,” Macmurchy said.

Jake is in a safe place now, 21 News was not permitted to know where. There have not yet been charges filed for Kish.