Solon Couple Completes Jail Sentence for Animal Cruelty

In a case dating back to August 2010, Solon couple Steven and Heidi Friedman both served two weeks in the Solon jail in April on animal cruelty convictions.

The Friedmans were convicted of three counts of animal cruelty April 6 at Bedford Municipal Court for keeping 39 pets in squalid conditions at their Wagon Wheel Drive home, according to court records.

They were sentenced to the jail term and probation, along with psychological evaluations and random home inspections. They also are not allowed to have children or animals in their home.

The case started when a neighbor complained and police found 25 dogs, eight cats, three birds, a rabbit and two guinea pigs -- locked inside the home and living in squalid conditions, according to the Plain Dealer. Officers needed respirators to enter the house.

All but a parakeet were taken to a local veterinarian and euthanized with the Friedmans' permission, according to the newspaper.