Couple accused of neglecting dog in backyard appear in court
12/7/2017A Toledo couple accused of leaving a dog in their backyard to starve and die made their first appearance Thursday in Toledo Municipal Court.
Michael Bivens, 26, and Valentina Slaughter, 30, both of the 1300 block of Indiana Avenue are charged with a first-degree misdemeanor and two second-degree misdemeanor counts of prohibitions concerning companion animals.
Ms. Slaughter pleaded not guilty to the charges, while Mr. Bivens' arraignment was continued until Dec. 14.
According to charges filed by Megan Brown, a cruelty investigator with the Toledo Area Humane Society, the two left “a malnourished dog outside overnight in cold weather with no shelter resulting in the dog's death” on Nov. 22.
Further, they’re accused of depriving the dog of sufficient food and water and impounded the dog in the backyard “without supplying it with shelter from the cold, resulting in the death of the dog.”
Attorneys for the two declined to comment Thursday.