Woman’s jail sentence bumped up

SCOTT TRUXELL/independent editor

A local woman accused of violating the terms of her probation on animal cruelty charges just two days after sentencing was in court again on Monday.

Brittany Baldauf, 36, of Van Wert, appeared for a probation violation hearing and Van Wert Municipal Court Judge Jill T. Worthington ordered her original sentence of 180 days in jail begin immediately, rather than than the scheduled date of Friday, November 29.

She was jailed on October 31, after probation officers went to her residence for a home visit and found three dogs there, in direct violation of the terms of her sentence, which stated she is forbidden to own a companion animal for five years.

Two days prior to probation officers going to her home, she was in court to change her plea from not guilty to guilty of seven counts of cruelty to animals, all second degree misdemeanors. She was accused of severely mistreating seven dogs earlier this year and was charged in June.

In addition to the stipulation of no companion animals, Judge Worthington sentenced Baldauf to consecutive sentences of 90 days in jail on each of the first two counts, along with a $500 fine and court costs on each of those counts. She was fined $500 plus court costs on each of the remaining five charges, and was sentenced to a total of five years of probation, and was given five suspended 90-day jail sentences. Her total fines and court costs amount to just over to $4,500.

The Van Wert County Humane Society took control of the neglected dogs in June. All seven dogs have recovered and all of them have been adopted.