Second Defendant Charged in Loudonville Dog Breeder Case, Also Faces Charges Involving Children
By Kendall Jang, Staff Writer
A second person has now been charged in connection with the investigation into the Loudonville commercial dog breeding operation previously covered by Ohio Animal Advocates.
According to Richland Source, Ross C. Rutschilling, 24, faces six charges in Ohio, including five counts of aiding or abetting sexual conduct with an animal and one count of attempted cruelty to companion animals. All six are currently classified as second-degree misdemeanors.
The case takes on additional significance because Rutschilling is also facing serious charges involving children. In a separate Indiana case, he faces 20 felony counts of possession of child sexual abuse material and one felony count of child solicitation, according to court records cited by Richland Source.
The allegations in these two cases involve the victimization of both animals and children, two vulnerable populations that depend on others to recognize abuse, report it, and intervene. This overlap reinforces the importance of taking crimes against animals seriously and of collaboration among animal protection professionals, child protection agencies, law enforcement, and the courts.
As part of the Ohio case, the court has prohibited Rutschilling from owning, possessing, harboring, or having control of any animal while the case proceeds.
Rutschilling has pleaded not guilty to the Ohio charges. His pretrial is scheduled for October 13, shortly before Daniel Miller’s scheduled pretrial that same day.
The charges are allegations and do not establish guilt. The defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.
Take Action
1. Help increase the penalties for bestiality from a misdemeanor to a felony charge by completing our action alert for S.B. 393.
2. Help hold puppy mill breeders accountable for animal abuse by completing our action alert for S.B. 232
3. For more information and resources on supporting legislation to protect dogs and puppies in mills, spread awareness about the plight of mill dogs, visit our Puppy Mills advocacy page.
4. For more information and resources on understanding the link between human and animal violence, visit our advocacy page.
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