A Whitehall dog trainer has been charged with multiple offences, accusing him of mishandling dogs, including an incident which resulted in the death of a dog.

Alec Dickman, founder of Alec’s K9 Academy in Whitehall, was charged with animal cruelty and violating the city’s humane isolation and treatment of dogs code on Nov. 7 after a dog in his care died in October. A separate witness also came forward with allegations of abuse from September 2023, according to a Whitehall Animal Control investigation.

What happened to Angela Johnson’s dog, Sofie?

In March, Columbus resident Angela Johnson and her family adopted a two-month-old pit bull and Labrador mix they named Sofie. At the recommendation of a friend, the Johnsons decided to hire Dickman to visit their home to train their new pup.

Dickman has worked for several dog training companies and has been mentored under several trainers in the past, according to his company’s website. A screenshot of Dickman’s now-deleted LinkedIn profile posted on social media shows he previously worked for Lorenzo’s Dog Training Team, a Cleveland-based dog training firm with trainers in 15 states.

Lorenzo declined to comment on Dickman, saying he is no longer with the company.

Dickman’s training of Sofie was “big” until the fall, when the family paid Dickman $1,000 for boarding and training while they went to Disney World on Oct. 10, Johnson said. Four days later, Johnson received a call from Dickman.

Sophie was dead.

“At that point, everything is just a blur, and you’re in shock. And I was like, “Are you kidding me? Like, is this a bad joke? Like, you’re telling me my dog ​​died? ‘ And he was just like, ‘Yeah, your dog died,'” she said.

Johnson said Dickman told him Sofie had feces on her paws, so he left her on a leash and tied to a dumbbell in the garage while he went inside to get cleaning supplies. Dickman said that when he returned five minutes later, Sofie had fallen from a ledge near the dumbbells and was hanging from the leash, unconscious, according to Johnson.

Dickman untied Sofie from her leash and tried CPR but was unable to revive her, Johnson said, Dickman told her. When Johnson got the news, she said she walked out of the LEGO Disney Springs store to hide her family’s reaction.

When Sofie died on October 14, the family had five days left on their Disney vacation. Johnson said she and her husband, Jim Johnson, decided to keep Sofie’s death to themselves for as long as possible to avoid ruining the vacation for their children, Jake, 9, and Alexa, 8.

“We had to go all week knowing that Sofie was dead and we couldn’t grieve her,” Angela Johnson said. “Every time the kids said they couldn’t wait to go home and see Sofie, we looked at each other because we knew three words would break their hearts.”

Dickman did not respond to a request for comment from The Dispatch.

The Johnsons initially told Dickman to cremate Sofie since they were out of town. But before the cremation could be completed, Otterbein University Associate Professor Steffanie Burk, a friend of Angela Johnson who had cared for Sofie, suggested keeping Sofie’s body for an autopsy.

Burk called the crematorium on Johnson’s behalf, but the staff found no record of Sofie. That’s because Dickman had listed himself as Sofie’s owner, not Johnson.

“It’s not okay with me,” Johnson said.

A necropsy by the Ohio State University Veterinary Medical Center revealed that Sofie died of strangulation and suffered injuries to her ribs, liver and gallbladder, possibly from Dickman performing CPR, Burk said.

Dickman paid for the autopsy and eventually reimbursed the Johnsons for the money they paid for the training after they gave him a deadline to return the funds, Johnson said.

“My husband and I felt like he killed our dog like he shouldn’t have, whether it was on purpose or by accident, like he shouldn’t be keeping our money,” she said. .

Dickman was charged with violating Whitehall’s humane detention and treatment of dogs statute in Sofie’s death, an unclassified misdemeanor. Penalties for unclassified misdemeanors are determined by the court.

Dickman’s other animal cruelty charge stems from an incident in September 2023, when a witness saw him pick up a dog he was training on a leash from the ground. As a result, the dog suffered an eye injury, according to Whitehall Animal Control Officer Steven Brown.

Dickman’s case is the first time Brown has filed charges against a Whitehall coach, he said.

Cruelty to animals is a fourth-degree misdemeanor, which can result in a possible $250 fine or 30 days in jail.

Does dog training in Ohio require a license?

There are no licensing, registration or training requirements for dog trainers under Ohio or federal law, meaning consumers are left to sift through online reviews to decide if a trainer is right for them or has a bad track record.

“Anyone can work as a dog trainer, regardless of the person’s qualifications,” wrote Chicago attorney Elizabeth Foubert. in a legal document for The Animal Law Conference. “Scientific research in animal behavior and canine ethology indicates how to train dogs humanely, but nothing in the law requires dog trainers to apply these proven methods in practice.”

Although there is no formal licensing process, several private organizations, such as the Certification Council for Professional Dog Trainers, offer certificates.

Learning to live with the loss of a cherished family pet

Johnson’s friend Burk did a Facebook post detailing Sofie’s death on October 25, which has been shared 576 times and liked by 252 users. Dickman’s LinkedIn page, his Instagram account and Facebook page have all been deleted.

As for the Johnsons, their home feels peaceful now without Sofie’s “puppy craziness,” Johnson said. They spent their mornings snuggling in bed with her. Now, Johnson and her children spend that time talking about how much they miss her and love her.

Johnson’s son Jake refuses to let her wash one of their car windows because it still has traces of Sofie’s nose on it, she said.

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@NathanRHart

This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Ohio dog trainer charged with misdemeanor after dog in their care dies