A Whitehall dog trainer has been charged with multiple misdemeanors accusing him of mistreating dogs, including an incident that resulted in the death of a dog.

Alec Dickman, founder of Alec’s K9 Academy in Whitehall, was charged Nov. 7 with animal cruelty and violating the city’s humane seclusion and handling of dogs ordinance after a dog in his care died in October. According to the Whitehall Animal Control investigation, from September 2023, another witness also came forward with allegations of abuse.

What happened to Angela Johnson’s dog Sofie?

In March, Angela Johnson and her family, who live in Columbus, adopted a two-month-old Pit bull and Labrador mix dog they named Sofie. On the advice of a friend, the Johnsons decided to hire Dickman to visit their home to train their new pup.

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

Lorenzo declined to comment, saying Dickman was no longer with the company.

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

Sophie was dead.

“At that point everything gets blurry and you’re in shock. And I said, ‘Are you kidding? Is this a stupid joke? Like, are you telling me my dog ​​died?’ And he said, ‘Yes, your dog died,'” she said.

Johnson said Dickman said Sofie had feces on her paw, so he left her on a leash and tied her to a dumbbell in his garage while he went inside to get cleaning supplies. When Dickman returned five minutes later, he said Sofie had fallen from a ledge near the dumbbell and was hanging by her collar, unconscious, according to Johnson.

Johnson said Dickman released Sofie from her leash and attempted CPR but was unable to revive her. Johnson said he left the Disney Springs LEGO store when he heard the news to hide his reaction from his family.

When Sofie died on October 14, the family was still five days away from their Disney vacation. Johnson said she and her husband, Jim Johnson, decided to keep Sofie’s death to themselves for as long as possible so as not to ruin the holidays for their children, Jake, 9, and Alexa, 8.

“We had to go through the whole week knowing that Sofie was dead and we couldn’t mourn her,” Angela Johnson said. “Whenever the kids said they couldn’t wait to get home and see Sofie, we would just look at each other because we knew three words would break their hearts.”

Dickman did not respond to The Dispatch’s request for comment.

The Johnsons initially told Dickman to burn Sofie because they were out of town. But before the cremation was complete, Otterbein University associate professor Steffanie Burk, Angela Johnson’s friend who raised Sofie, suggested they preserve Sofie’s body for an autopsy.

Burk searched the crematorium on Johnson’s behalf, but staff could not find any record of Sofie. This is because Dickman listed himself as Sofie’s owner, not Johnson.

“That’s fine with me,” Johnson said.

Burk said an autopsy performed by the Ohio State University Veterinary Medical Center revealed that Sofie died of asphyxiation and had injuries to her ribs, liver and gallbladder, likely from Dickman performing CPR.

Johnson said he paid for Dickman’s autopsy and eventually refunded the Johnsons the money they paid for the training after giving him a deadline to return it.

“My husband and I, whether on purpose or by accident, felt like he killed our dog the way he shouldn’t have, as if he shouldn’t have kept any of our money,” she said.

Dickman was accused of violating Whitehall’s humane isolation and handling of dogs legislation in Sofie’s death; this was an unclassified misdemeanor. Penalties for unclassified misdemeanors are determined by the court.

Dickman’s other animal cruelty charge stems from a September 2023 incident in which a witness saw him picking up a dog he was training by its leash. The dog suffered an eye injury as a result, according to Whitehall Animal Control Officer Steven Brown.

Dickman’s lawsuit marked the first time Brown has filed criminal charges against a coach at Whitehall.

Animal cruelty is a fourth-degree misdemeanor punishable by a fine of $250 or 30 days in jail.

Does dog training require a license in Ohio?

There are no licensing, registration or training requirements for dog trainers under Ohio or federal law; This means consumers are allowed to scan online reviews to decide if a trainer is right for them or if it has any negative history.

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

While there is no formal licensing process, some private organizations, such as the Professional Dog Trainers Certification Council, offer certifications.

Learning to live with the loss of a beloved family pet

Made by Johnson’s friend Burk a Facebook post Details of Sofie’s death on October 25 were shared 576 times and liked by 252 users. Dickman’s LinkedIn page, Instagram account and Facebook page have been deleted.

As for the Johnsons, their home is now quiet without Sofie’s “puppy madness,” Johnson said. They would spend their mornings cuddling in bed with him. Now Johnson and her children spend this time telling her how much they miss and love her.

Johnson’s son, Jake, said he didn’t let him wash one of the car’s windows because it still had Sofie’s nose prints on it.

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@NathanRHart

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