PIKETON, Ohio (WCMH) — A man is facing felony charges after the local sheriff said more than 100 dogs and other animals were found dead or severely neglected on his Pike County property.
Investigators found over 40 dogs dead and 80 malnourished and emaciated at the home of 62-year-old Wyndan Skye on Friday, according to the Pike County Sheriff’s Office. Sheriff’s deputies went to Skye’s residence on Wynn Road with a search warrant after receiving complaints of animal cruelty.
When they went to check out the reports, deputies found a dog, dead and apparently beaten, tied to a tractor near the road. When the deputies searched the property, they found 80 dogs and a live pig, many in need of veterinary care due to malnourishment and neglect. Deputies also found several dozen dead dogs and a few dead chickens.
Many of the animals were taken to veterinarian hospitals for treatment, according to the sheriff’s office. Two of the dead animals were taken for necropsies.
The deputies arrested Skye and charged him with cruelty to companion animals, a fifth-degree felony. The sheriff’s office said the investigation is ongoing and prosecutors may file additional charges, to be reviewed by a grand jury.
Skye is being held in Pike County Jail on a $40,000 bond. He is set to appear in Pike County Court on Feb. 6 at 10 a.m.
