Warren couple sentenced after puppy found with broken leg, no food or water

Brandon Greathouse (L) Jessica Mason (R)

A Warren couple has been placed on probation for one year for leaving a puppy outside in the hot sun with no access to food or water and a broken leg.

Brandon Greathouse, 29, and Jessica Mason, 31, were sentenced by a judge in Warren Municipal Court on Tuesday after pleading guilty to animal cruelty.

According to a police report, back in June,  the landlord of an apartment on the 400 block of Vine Avenue NE found a puppy between two to four months old lying in the grass that couldn't stand up. Police say the puppy was panting heavily.

The landlord told police that a tenant had been seen in one of the apartments with the puppy earlier, but she was not home at the time and attempts to contact her were unsuccessful.

The call came in around 2:45 in the afternoon when the temperature was nearly 90 degrees outside. The puppy was not in a shaded area.

According to the report, the puppy was unable to stand. Police say there was a water bowl, but it was too high for the puppy to reach.

Healthy Hearts and Paws Founder and President, Jason Cooke took the puppy to an animal hospital. According to Cooke, the puppy had a broken leg to the point where veterinarians were afraid it could pierce through the skin. Police say the puppy was placed on medication and strict cage rest.

According to police, Mason and Greathouse claimed that the puppy broke her leg after falling down the stairs earlier in the day.