Former humane society director sentenced for animal cruelty

A former humane society director in Ohio has been sentenced to over 15 years in prison for animal cruelty and theft. Steffen Baldwin, 44, was found guilty of 32 charges after promising to rehabilitate dangerous dogs but instead killed them and kept the money for himself. Baldwin worked at the Union County Humane Society. He led pet owners and rescue groups to believe he could help dogs with behavior issues, boasting a 99% adoption success rate. However, instead of helping the dogs, Baldwin euthanized them without permission and lied to their owners about their well-being. One of the dogs, a pit bull named Remi, was transferred to Baldwin in 2016 after his owners paid $1,000 to remove a "dangerous dog" designation. Baldwin never took steps to remove the label and had Remi euthanized a few months later under false pretenses. He assured the dog's owners that Remi was alive and well for months after the dog's death. Another dog, Gucci, was also euthanized by Baldwin while he misled a rescue group about the dog’s condition. Authorities discovered Baldwin's actions when he was arrested in 2020, leading to charges related to the deaths of at least 18 dogs. Baldwin has also been banned from owning or caring for animals for life. After serving his prison sentence, he will be under supervised release for up to five years.