A suspect has been arrested in alleged connection with the abandonment of a dog in December of 2025.
According to Poland Township Police Department Chief Greg Wilson, Timothy Washington, 37, was arrested on Saturday, May 30.
Court records show that Washington, pictured above, was charged with of prohibitions concerning companion animals (F5), abandoned animals (M2) and prohibitions concerning companion animals (M1).
A court date has not been set for Washington at this time. He is currently being held in the Mahoning County Jail.
Charges allegedly stem from a December 2025 incident where a French bulldog was dropped off behind the Every Dog Matters Rescue shelter in Boardman.
The Mahoning County Dog Warden believed that the dog, which was severely injured, sat outdoors in the cold temperatures for about 10 hours before being discovered by shelter staff.
The dog was believed to have been hit by a vehicle a few weeks prior. The resulting infection was so severe and had spread to other areas of her body that the dog had to be euthanized.
Security footage from the rear of the building showed a man placing a cage on the ground and covering it with a cloth around 10:30 p.m. before driving away.
That security video, and photos of the dog’s condition, which are too graphic to share here, were shared on the Mahoning County Dog Warden’s Facebook page at the time.
Chief Wilson tells 21 News that there was great teamwork exhibited between the Poland Township Police Department, the Boardman Police Department and Every Dog Matters Rescue throughout the process.
He also highlighted the detective work that the police department conducted in order to identify the individual in the security video and obtain an arrest warrant.
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