Steffen Baldwin, a former humane society director in Ohio who claimed he could rehabilitate dogs with behavioral issues, was sentenced to 15 1/2 years in prison after being convicted on 32 charges, including cruelty to companion animals, theft, bribery, and more, according to local news.
Court records also indicate he is barred for life from having or caring for companion animals.
After serving as executive director and humane agent for the Union County Humane Society, Baldwin launched his own nonprofit, Animal Cruelty Task Force of Ohio.
He claimed he had a 99% success rate in finding homes for dogs with behavioral issues and marketed himself as a rehabilitation expert. Canine guardians and rescue groups paid him, believing he could help — instead, he pocketed the money and had the dogs killed.
Additionally, he provided false updates to guardians and rescues, assuring them the dogs were doing well after they’d been killed.
In 2016, Litsa and Angelo Kargakos entrusted Baldwin with Remi, a pit bull, after he convinced them he could remove the animal’s “dangerous dog” label to make him adoptable. But Baldwin killed Remi and then lied for months, claiming the dog was fine. Under pressure, he later said that Remi killed another dog and had to be euthanized because of the injuries he sustained.
“I didn’t believe any aspect of the story at that point, and he said that he had to euthanize Remi due to the horrific wounds that he had, and we came to find out that Remi didn’t have one mark on him when he was euthanized,” Litsa Kargakos said.
The growing body of evidence ultimately resulted in numerous charges stemming from the deaths of 18 innocent canines.
These vulnerable dogs needed compassion and patience — instead, they were killed by someone who claimed to be their advocate. Lady Freethinker is grateful that Baldwin is being held accountable for the harm he caused and hopes this sends a strong message that animal cruelty will not be tolerated.
