Animal control officer fired for performance

The city of North Ridgeville fired an animal control officer May 24, following allegations of killing five young rabbits.

Officer Barry Accorti was not fired for the incident, but instead was terminated for his performance, North Ridgeville Capt. Marti Garrow said.

On May 23, a man was mowing his lawn when he accidentally ran over a baby rabbit, Garrow said.

The man had discovered five more rabbits and decided to place them in a bucket and call the police, he said.

When Accorti arrived, he grabbed the bucket, took it to the tailgate of his truck and smashed the heads of the rabbits, Garrow said.

Accorti then brought the bucket back to the caller, asking for the rabbit the man had run over, he said.

This is not the first time Accorti was accused of mishandling animals.

In 2013, Accorti was accused of shooting five feral cats, authorities said.

Accorti went to a home after a resident had posted a message on the police department’s Facebook asking for help in removing a family of feral cats living in a woodpile about 10 feet from the home, according to a June 2013 Morning Journal article.

The homeowner said the cats were causing flea problems, a foul odor and leaving dead animals in the yard.

Accorti’s actions were found to be appropriate and he was not disciplined for that incident.