39 Animals Removed From Home Had To Be Euthanized

**Mystica43229** · August 16th, 2010, 12:10 PM

SOLON, Ohio - Officers from the Solon Police Department and the Solon animal warden were called to a house on Wagon Wheel Drive for a complaint of a large number of dogs left unattended and a foul odor coming from a house on Friday night.

When officers arrived on scene, neighbors informed them that the owner of the home was currently vacationing in Florida. Officers made contact with the owner via cell phone and the owner gave them permission to enter the home.

Upon entering the home, officers discovered that the smell was so bad they could not perform a thorough check without respirator equipment.

After securing the respirator equipment, two officers and two animal wardens entered the home and removed 25 dogs, 8 cats (2 deceased), 3 birds, 2 guinea pigs and one rabbit.

There was another cat that officers were not able to catch so a trap was left in the home.

Police said that all of the animals were in such poor condition and infested with fleas that they had to be euthanized.

Representatives from the Solon building department and the Cuyahoga County Board of Health also responded to the scene. After inspecting the home, the city building department determined that the house was not habitable and tagged it as condemned.

On Sunday, the homeowner along with his wife and children were intereviewed by officers from the Solon Police Department and the Solon prosecutor.

Arrangements were made for the family to stay at a local hotel and police provided them with a phone number to the Red Cross for any additional assistance.

Solon prosecutors are currently reviewing the case and charges are pending upon the completion of the investigation. Because there were children in the home, the Cuyahoga County Department of Children and Family Services are also investigating.

http://www.newsnet5.com/dpp/news/loc...and-euthanized

**Echo** · August 16th, 2010, 12:13 PM

Horrible!!!!!!!

**biteme** · August 16th, 2010, 12:23 PM

Originally Posted by Mystica43229

http://www.newsnet5.com/dpp/news/loc...and-euthanized

They were living there? I can't understand these pet herders and the torture of the animals they collect or how they can stand the smell and living conditions
and why CPS didn't immediately remove the children, and why the authorities would make hotel arrangements for them instead of jail

**Pene784** · August 16th, 2010, 12:33 PM

Arrangements were made for the family to stay at a local hotel and police provided them with a phone number to the Red Cross for any additional assistance.

I think the children should have been removed and the only arrangements made for the husband and wife should have been JAIL!

**DogMom** · August 16th, 2010, 03:25 PM

They went on vacation leaving 39 animals in their house??? I wonder if they arranged for someone to feed them. But if the house was in that disgusting condition, then the caretaker probably couldn't even stand to walk into it.

Idiots.

**Valasca** · August 16th, 2010, 03:36 PM

**DogMom** · August 16th, 2010, 03:37 PM

Found this about the house and owners:

The warden and two officers entered and found the rooms strewn with clothes and dog feces. There was a child's wading pool in the front room that held brown water. They videotaped and photographed the scene.

"Every room in the house from the second floor bedrooms to the basement had animal feces on the floor and on the furniture," Patrolman Brad Lender wrote. "The second floor master bedroom had a few inches of dog feces packed down on the floor."

City Building Department official Charlie Boshane arrived and declared the house unsanitary and uninhabitable and placed a "NO OCCUPANCY" sign on it. Police contacted the county child welfare agency to report the conditions that the Freidman daughters had been living in. Their ages are 20, 16 and 15. A 22-year-old brother had moved out.

Initially, the officers found 23 puppies and dogs, six living cats, two dead cats, two guinea pigs, a rabbit and three birds. Two more dogs were confiscated later.

The city called the Solon Veterinary Clinic on Richmond Road, took all of the animals there and told Dr. Don Bartels to euthanize them because they were abandoned and had fleas, Bartels said today. He said the animals were mixed breeds that had not been groomed. He said one parakeet was spared because the warden had found it home.

Officers were sent to the house again Sunday afternoon and found that the family had returned during the night. Steven Friedman claimed that Sgt. Dale Bunjevac had given him permission to be in the house. Bunjavac said he had not. The family was told to go to the police station for questioning. They met with the prosecutor and made other living arrangements. Children services was told where the family would be living.

Friedman said the family had gone to Boynton Beach, Fla., to help his mother-in-law after the death of his father-in-law.

He said he left food bags and the baby pool of water for the animals. He also said they had accumulated too many animals, had financial difficulties and couldn't afford to surrender the animals. He told police that there was another dog in the house. It was surrendered and euthanized.

Heidi Friedman told police that she had bad knees and could only climb the steps to the bedrooms once a day. She signed a statement that said the house was not in bad condition when she left for Florida.

http://blog.cleveland.com/metro/2010...minal_cha.html

**Parrot Toes** · August 17th, 2010, 03:01 AM

OMG I hate HATE HATE these people. My kids and I went on a day trip to the zoo yesterday, and though we had a great time, I couldn't wait to get home to my 7 parrots and 1 dog. I missed them so much and hated that they were cage bound all day (except for my dog).

I'm disturbed about the fact that all these poor animals were put down besides the one budgie. How bad of condition were they in? If they put them down because the animals were dirty, ungroomed, possibly malnutritioned, and had fleas, then the officials in charge of that decision are just as bad as this family. If a budgie was well enough to be rehomed, then certainly more of these unfortunate animals could have been spared. Birds are highly sensitive to all types of diseases and bad care habits. If a budgie could survive it well enough, then why were no other animals saved?

Stupid people!

**DamagedGoods** · August 17th, 2010, 06:06 AM

They euthanized the animals because they were abandoned and had fleas?? Was there not more to it? I don't think they even bothered to try...

**brokenandtwisted** · August 17th, 2010, 06:14 AM

I question the mental state of anyone having that many 'pets'.

**DogMom** · August 17th, 2010, 11:05 AM

Originally Posted by DamagedGoods

They euthanized the animals because they were abandoned and had fleas?? Was there not more to it? I don't think they even bothered to try...

The city and the vet are under intense criticism for that. Here is the latest on the owners.

Charges Expected Soon After 39 Animals Euthanized

The city prosecutor says he will file charges against the owner of home that was condemned after authorities found thirty-nine animals living in deplorable conditions.

The FOX 8 I-Team has confirmed the owner of the home is a doctor. We are not identifying him because he has not yet been charged.

Prosecutor expects to file both animal cruelty and child endangering charges. Two teen-aged children live in the home.

http://www.fox8.com/news/wjw-news-an...,6398582.story

**Chaindrive** · August 17th, 2010, 02:50 PM

Heidi Friedman told police that she had bad knees and could only climb the steps to the bedrooms once a day. She signed a statement that said the house was not in bad condition when she left for Florida.

And this has WHAT to do with taking care of your animals?

**DogMom** · August 17th, 2010, 04:10 PM

Solon couple are charged with 39 counts of animal cruelty and 2 counts of child endangering

SOLON, Ohio -- Steven Friedman, 58, a podiatrist, and his wife, Heidi, 48, of Solon, are each charged with 39 counts of cruelty to animals and two counts of child endangering.

They are accused of keeping a rabbit, two guinea pigs, three birds and 33 dogs and cats in their feces- and urine-filled Wagon Wheel Drive home and leaving them alone in the closed-up house while the family traveled.

The Friedmans' daughters, 15, 16 and 20 also lived in the house.

According to the police report, detailed yesterday: The Friedmans' neighbor called police Friday to say the couple and the three children had gone on vacation Aug. 2, leaving the house closed up and the air conditioner off. Temperatures were in the high 80s.

The warden said the Friedmans surrendered the animals by phone. Two more dogs were surrendered later.

The city called the Solon Veterinary Clinic on Richmond Road, took all of the animals there and told Dr. Don Bartels to euthanize them because they were abandoned and had fleas, Bartels said Monday. He said the animals were mixed breeds that had not been groomed. He said one parakeet was spared because the warden had found it a home.

The city said today that it did not order that the animals be killed, but that Friedman spoke to Bartels and agreed to have them euthanized and pay for it. The city is not being billed for the euthanasias, Assistant Chief Ray Tittl said.

The neighbors, reached by phone, said they should have called authorities months ago.

Heidi Friedman was arrested earlier today. Police had not located her husband as of 2:30 p.m. today.

http://blog.cleveland.com/metro/2010...rged_with.html

He had no money to surrender all the animals, but he has money to PAY for having those animals PTS...by the vet? That practice will never see the money.