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Firefighter kills pets to avoid kennel fees
COLUMBUS DISPATCH
COLUMBUS — A Columbus firefighter admitted Wednesday to securing his two dogs in his basement and blasting them with a rifle so he and a girlfriend could vacation without paying to board the animals.
“He said chunks of concrete were flying everywhere,” Assistant Franklin County Prosecutor Heather Robinson said.
“I think it was the thrill of the kill for him. He has shown no remorse for this.”
Firefighter David P. Santuomo, 43, pleaded guilty to two counts of animal cruelty and one count of possession of a criminal tool for taping a 2-liter plastic bottle onto the gun as a makeshift silencer.
He was convicted of “needlessly killing ... a companion animal” Dec. 3, according to the charges filed 10 minutes before the hearing in municipal court. One dog was shot six times in the head.
Santuomo, who did not apologize or give a statement in court, will spend 90 days in jail and pay $4,500 in restitution while serving five years’ probation, Judge Harland H. Hale ruled.
For the full story, see today's Vindicator or Vindy.com,
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Comments
Good Morals in Columbus Ohio ! And this person is suppose to protect you from fire . Why didn't you take the hounds with you ? Another Public Servant in the Lime Lite. Enjoy your vaccation with BUBBA!
So does he let people die in house fires, too, so that he can avoid the possibility of losing his life?
OMG!!! It does not cost that darn much to kennel a dog!!! It does make you wonder if he lets people die in fires, sad very sad, I am blown away by the stupidity of this person and his GF. stupid freakin person!
May Karma find him, and quickly.
Seriously though, why even have pets if you aren't willing to accept the cost and responsibility of them.
That's almost as bad as having children and saying, "well, we can't afford a baby sitter so we'll just kill the kids so we can go away for the weekend!"
(This comment was removed by the site staff.)
Nice public sevant! Maybe someone should shoot the stupidty out of him 6 times. Sadly he has no remorse so I agree lock him up with bubba!
timothy good morals in Columbus? have you forgotten our very own Youngstown dog killer?
It's very, very sad, those poor dogs. 90 days in jail, another slap on the wrist. What a joke!
Why isn't this a felony already so this guy and all animal abusers cannot legally own guns after committing such horrific acts and be punished more severly? A firefighter, a kennel owner what is heck is going on? Can't trust anyone in this day and age. SICK, SICK, SICK!
Now the question is, does he keep his job? Obviously he shouldn't but if not, bet you money that the firefighters union or the ACLU fights to get his job back!
It is not a crime to quickly dispatch ones own dog. It is in fact his property and he doesnt have to pay a vet to put the dog down. But it seems judges-counting on votes to keep the job- dont care.
I just lost my breakfast... Why are people so gosh darn weird these days???? Killing pets, their families, seriously????
Sorry vindy...
let's try
Freakin' Hick
saddad, you don't get it do you? It shows the MENTALITY of the individual! Next time he may decide to kill his kids (if he has any) if they should get in the way. Sound like I am being extreme, just think about it.
"Obviously he shouldn't but if not, bet you money that the firefighters union or the ACLU fights to get his job back!"
Why would the ACLU care? I doubt shooting your dog falls under protected speech.
Everybody puts their dog down eventually-you dont need a court order to do it. Same as cows and pigs. If you think the guy is on his way to being psycho--so be it--that doesnt make his acts a crime.
Some people don't deservere to have any pets. If his girlfriend was smart she would dump him before he does to her what he did to the dogs when he got tired of them !
We had the same thing locally-a nitwit judge convicted some poor slob that had lost his home and couldnt care for the dog. The guy could have dumped the dog or let the the pound gas it with CO but he shot it once in the head. It just isnt a crime. So go eat a chicken sandwich.
IT IS A CRIME TO KILL A DOG for no good reason Saddad. Perfectly healthy!!! So I take it you will kill your animal becuause your tired of it?? Whats next your kid, wife, GF?? Your way of thinking is what is wrong with this country, this killing and tortureing of animals will not stop to there is a stiffer penalty for the crime.
Gosh Fly--the dog warden must be in deep chit!!
epicfail wrote: Why would the ACLU care? I doubt shooting your dog falls under protected speech.
Because the ACLU likes to defend all kinds of stupid actions instead what really is important. They forgot a long time ago what their original purpose was.
Funny, you know what I mean. That makes me angery also, they would rather kill the dogs then try to adopt them out. Columbiana Dog pound uses petfinder.com
The ACLU needs to be disbanded, they do nothing but cause trouble.
Dont get me wrong, I love my dog and dont like this guy, my gripe is with Ohio's dumb lawyers and judges. If someone can show me a section of the ORC that - in sufficiently clear language- defines these acts as criminal I'll shut up.
959.06 PAINLESS DESTRUCTION OF DOMESTIC ANIMALS
(A) No person shall destroy any domestic animal by the use of a high altitude decompression chamber or by any method other than a method that immediately and painlessly renders the domestic animal initially unconscious and subsequently dead.
Shooting an animal six times in the head while tied to a post is not immediate, nor painless.
I think he pled to ORC 959.13 (a) (1) for "needlessly mutilate or killing" an animal. The emphasis is on needless. Healthy animals + no good reason for death = needless.
Saddad - While I tend to agree that a person should be free to end an animal's life painlessly at any time, your gripe about lawyers and judges is way off. This gentleman pled guilty to those two counts. He had every right to challenge the application of ORC 959.13 at trial. I might agree with you that the sentence was a bit harsh, but you can't argue with the conviction since he agreed to it.
It actually bothers me a lot more that he created a homemade silencer. There is a significant public interest in keeping makeshift criminal tools (nobody straps a 2-liter to their gun for a legitimate reason) off the streets. This also indicates that he knew what he was doing was wrong/illegal since he took proactive steps to conceal his actions.
I'm sorry--I would call it malpractice to plead him under those statutes.
saddad, I'm in agreement with you. Having been brought up on a farm where we were taught that all animals should be treated with kindness, but eventually, will die. Be it at the hand of the butcher or our own. This included our pets for various reasons. City folk just don't get it!
Holy Cow!! Was the vacation that important? I have 9 dogs that I rearrange my life for. It was our choice to rescue most of them. As a firefighter, would he make the attempt into a burning house to save a dog or any other animal. I feel very bad for this man, he obviously has no heart or feelings. The girlfriend should be brought up on accessory charges. She could have let the dogs free or brought them to a shelter. SHAME ON BOTH!!!
No, you don't get it. These animals were not sick, were not injured, were not slaughtered, were not eaten. They were killed for pleasure of killing. Being a cheap bastard and wanting a vacation is not sufficient reason to kill a companion animal in an inhumane, cruel manner. This idiot, tied his animals to a pipe in his basement and shot the animals numerous times. Why did he need to make a silencer if he was so within his rights? Why did he need to shoot it six times? Because 1) he is a sadist and wanted to inflict as much pain as possible, or 2) he did not kill with one shot, being in violation of the statute i listed above. The man knew what he did was wrong, hence the guity plea and no attempt at explanation. He is wrong and evil and is in serious violation of the Code of Ethics all civil servants are sworn to uphold. He is a disgrace to his community, his state, and humanity in general.
Makes ya wonder if its the first time he did it? He should be banned from ever having animals again. Henryviii???? did you kill your dogs for sport then, I grew up on a farm and we never killed the dogs for something fun to do on a saturday night. They are companion's, not chickens out scratching in the yard.
These are the very same characteristics of a serial killer. I won't be surprised if he comes back and goes on a killing spree. I am surprised, however, that it took him this late in his life (that we know of) to kill (or abuse) animals...usually these kinds of people start at a very young age. Well he might have and we just don't know about it. Just like that kid down south that was killing and skinning all those cats. Very scary...I'd rather save myself from a fire.
No, I have never killed "just for sport".
You folks add alot of commentary yourselves. No one has said he did it for sport. He improvised a silencer, not to hide "his crime", but to keep from blowing out his eardrums in the basement. And, as far as I know, there is no law against being a poor shot.
Boarding 2 dogs for a week would have set him back a couple hundred bucks if not more and he still would have had to care for them when he got back.
As far as dropping them at the pound goes, they would have kept them for a week or so before putting them down anyway. And if you have ever had a dog for an extended time and gotten rid of it, you should know how it feels to betray a trusted friend and what the look of betrayal looks like in a dogs eyes. Most times, for the good of the dog, it is better to put them down than to give them away.
Henry, are you seriously taking sides with this guy? Get some help dude, that is f'd up. I guess this guy has never heard of a pit sitter.
pardon me, a "pet sitter".
he who stows thrones.....eh Gram?
I have a chronically sick pet (a cat). Normally, I go on a yearly trip out of state. But this year, I won't go. My cat is more important. I considered taking the cat with me---but that would be too hard on him riding in the car.
He has to eat every 3 to 4 hours, so he can't be left alone. Even if food is just left out, he needs human supervision to make SURE he eats.
I've had him since he was a kitten and he's a very old man now. He can maybe live another year or two. But, NO, I won't go away and ignore HIS needs. I'll help him until it's his time to die naturally (or he starts suffering and needs a vet to help him die). But I won't just take off and do what I just want to do as long as he needs my extra attention!
"chunks of concrete flying everywhere"----that firefighter is a disgraceful excuse for a human being!!!!!!!!!!
Along with having a pet comes responsibilites. If he cannot uphold those responsibilites he shouldn't have had animals at ALL.
sad..I hope the guy understands what he did wrong....How did he get caught...his girlfriend must of turned him in...
awww.....poor dogs
some people do that to their spouse...that is not the way out killing...
Firefighters are supposed to have a sense of compassion .....they are life savers.....not life takers be it human or animal. I wouldnt want him as a firefighter in my town.