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Dobos found guilty of felony animal cruelty for dragging dog to death
By GREG JORDAN
Bluefield Daily Telegraph


February 24, 2009 09:28 pm

— PRINCETON — After deliberating approximately 15 minutes, a Mercer County jury found a local man guilty of felony animal cruelty in the dragging death of his dog.
Daniel W. Dobos, 49, was arrested at his Camp Creek home in late Feb. 2008 after county animal control officers and the Mercer County Sheriff’s Department received a call about a possible case of animal cruelty. Animal Control Officer S.E. Shampo, who testified Tuesday, said the dog was found in a field near Dobos’ trailer.
Shampo said later it was the first call the Mercer County Animal Shelter had received about alleged abuse to the dog.
Dr. Michelle Postle, a veterinarian with Green Valley Animal Hospital, testified that she examined the body of the dog — a mixed breed canine weighing about 35 pounds — on Feb. 26, 2008. She said the dog had extensive injuries ranging from multiple leg fractures, a crushed chest, broken teeth and toe pads ripped from its feet.
“It was probably one of the worst I had ever seen,” Postle said while being questioned by Assistant Prosecuting Attorney George Sitler.
The teeth had been broken outward, Postle said, adding this was an injury she had never seen before in her career. Fur had been rubbed from the dog’s body, and it also showed signs of being dehydrated and malnourished. The dog also had injuries indicating strangulation, she said.
When questioned by defense attorney Jason Grubb, Postle said the dog’s body was already “somewhat” decomposed when she examined it, and that this made determining whether it had gone without food or water “somewhat harder.”
Dobos testified that the dog was a stray that had wandered to his home and stayed after he started feeding it and gave it a dog house, adding that he always made sure it had food and water.
“I fed the dog whenever he needed it,” Dobos said.
However, one of Dobos’ former neighbors, now deceased, testified at a preliminary hearing that he had seen Dobos use cinder blocks to barricade the dog in its house, leaving it without food or water, Sitler said in his cross examination.
When asked how the dog was killed, Dobos said he ran over it by accident with his pick-up truck.
“As I was going out I clipped him, I ran over him,” Dobos said. He added that this was not the first time he had run over the dog. In another incident, he said he ran over the dog’s tail while it was trying to follow the truck. He denied ever tying the dog to the truck bumper with a chain and dragging it. The neighbor said in his testimony that he saw Dobos drag the dog during one other occasion, though he did not see the incident in which the dog died.
During cross examination, Sitler asked Dobos why he did not tell the investigating officer, Detective Matt Combs of the Mercer County Sheriff’s Department, about the accident when he was arrested. Dobos also did not say during his preliminary hearing on March 10, 2008 that the dog had died in a mishap. Dobos said he thought Combs did not want to hear an explanation.
When asked about the preliminary hearing, Dobos said: “No one asked. I wasn’t asked any questions, sir.” Dobos also said the attorney who was representing him at that time told him not to speak with anybody about the case.
Sitler asked Dobos to explain the dog’s injuries.
“What’s your explanation for the dog’s teeth being broken out?” Sitler said.
“I don’t know,” Dobos replied.
“Any explanation for the animal’s fur being rubbed off its body?” Sitler asked.
“No, sir,” Dobos replied.
In his closing statement, Grubb said there were no witnesses who actually saw Dobos kill the dog. Its abdominal injuries could have been caused by the truck running over it, and the veterinarian who examined the dog’s body and noted how its teeth were broken had never seen such an injury before.
Sitler said in his closing statements that teeth broken outward, pads ripped off the feet and fur rubbed off were not consistent with an accident.
After jury rendered its verdict, Judge William Sadler remanded Dobos to the Southern Regional Jail near Beckley. A felony charge of animal cruelty carries a penalty of 1 to 5 years in prison and a fine of up to $5,000.

Good! hopefully his cellmate turns out to be an avid animal lover and had a similar dog while growing up, which it turns out was killed intentionally by some  driver, and he's harbored ill feelings all his life towards people who are cruel to dogs.

Maybe we should send the poor guy some KY, as I hope his ass is taxed more than Leona Helmsley

Horrible but the animal is property. This is getting out of hand he was convicted by zero evidence. Kill a kid you can get off, mess with an animal they convict without evidence. Messed up

While I consider a dog property, and not worth a felony conviction, the guy is some kind of screwed in the head.

Punishment should be severe, and incarceration should be on the menu.  Heck, I would have to consider a public flogging appropriate.

Felony... not so much.

ETA:  I see that he didn't get to face his accuser.  Not guilty if I were on the jury.

Sick bastard!

Fuck him!

Dragging a live animal to death is not worth a felony conviction? Not to mention the repeated history of abuse.....