Man charged in dog deaths case

An Elyria man is facing charges after police say he was keeping dogs in inhumane conditions.

An Elyria man is facing charges after police say he was keeping dogs in inhumane conditions.

Allen R. Durning III, 55, was charged with two counts of prohibitions concerning companion animals and single counts of failure to disclose personal information, possession of marijuana and drug paraphernalia after his Aug. 1 arrest.

An Elyria police report said officers were dispatched around 7:34 p.m. after one of Durning’s friends reported he was afraid three pit bulls that were kept in Durning’s the 16th

Street trailer were dying.

Durning had lived in the trailer for two years.

After about a year there, he bought five pit bulls.

Within the week preceding his arrest, one of the dogs died and another died on the day of the arrest, according to the report.

The friend contacted police because he noticed one of the dogs, which were never allowed out of the hot trailer, was breathing heavily and had dried blood around its mouth, the report said.

The friend told police that he tried to call Durning to voice his concerns, but Durning never answered or responded, according to the report.

While officers waited on scene for a Lorain County Animal warden to assist, Durning arrived and ignored multiple commands to stop walking.

He identified himself as the dogs’ owner, but would not give any identifying information except to say his name was Allen adding that he was “secure in his personal identity,” the report said.

Durning admitted that two of his dogs had died, but told officers it was due to the parvo virus and refused to acknowledge it could have been due to them being held in an enclosed camper in the summer heat, the police report said.

Finally, the officers placed Durning under arrest.

While patting him down, police discovered less than a gram of marijuana and a wooden pipe that appeared to have marijuana residue in it, the report said.

Durning III