Trial set for man accused of starving dogs

It's real nice the judge ordered Nitro's family out of the court room. They are seeking justice for their beloved pet and are still being disrespected, let's give Croley rights but not the families of these pets. Way to go Y-town!
No wonder people leave!

Hs's lucky he didnt get shot! Caz if it was any of my animals... !

I am with you! It's too esay though, I'd rather see him made to suffer like those poor animals.

The laws need to be updated and the punishment greater for any individual who abuses any animal.

Let's all hope that justice is served next month.

they are being disrespected? but shouting in the middle of a court proceeding isnt disrespectful? wow you are crazy. he is lucky the judge didnt hold him in contempt. you cannot do that in the court room, no matter what. ive watched murder trials where people whose family were killed sat and didnt say a word.

Unfortunately in America, animals are consider property and not living things. His punishment will be very slight. These laws need to change.

The saddest thing in all of this .... he was entrusted to care , and give proper care and attention to all the pets , family members at his place of business ! He was paid very ,very well to do this. He most likely will only get a slap on his wrist and a fine , and possible a small time in jail . Mr. and Mrs. Siesto along with all the other families sorry and grief will last long after its all said and done .I wish them all the best , my heart goes to all of you and your beloved pets and family members.

For those of you who were not there, I didn't shout, "I cried" and was told to leave because I cried. Tom only said Here is Nitro after we were told to GET OUT. I was not permitted back into the court room but Tom was.

Would you not cry if you saw the man who did this to your family member?

Imagine I would get more jail time for crying than he will get for starving dogs to death.

I was in court yesterday and I can tell you that Liz did nothing wrong, she cried! The judge was way out of line as far as I am concerned.

Grkfire, Liz was thrown out of court like she was the criminal. FOR CRYING... only then did tom say here is nitro.
Again you like to talk - you should know your facts first. And yes they were disrespected.

tripodziphany - I hope you dont mind I copied this here so people can see what is really going on. They absolutely had this orchestrated before they even arrived. Unbelievable. How is this justice?
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By tripodziphany (Anonymous) on 11/14/08

I am APPALLED and absolutely DISGRACED with this article, Judge Douglass, Macejko, Croley, and importantly MY CITY of Youngstown! I was at this pretrial from 10am and it was VERY OBVIOUS to ANYone with a brain what was going on.

Here are the FACTS as to what happened starting at 11:00am on November 13th: the judge and prosecutors appointed 2 security guards for the 1115am pretrial of Steven Croley. At around 11:05am the family from NY arrived (2 women, 2 men all dressed in suits) into the courtroom. They sat down, making no noise whatsoever. At around 11:10am one of the women saw Croley and started to cry on the man's shoulder. Not even a few seconds later, the oh-so-HONORABLE Judge Douglass started to say how this was unacceptable, at the same time the women was able to muster out an apology. But still Douglass ordered her to "GET OUT". At that point one of the men got angry with the Judges orders and THEN said to Croley "here is nitro" (since they were getting kicked out anyway I am assuming). From what one of the security guards told me after the trial, the man WAS allowed back in the court and the women (WHO WAS CRYING) was NOT. If she did go back in, she would have been arrested for contempt. Let me get this straight--women cries in court after seeing her son's (dog's)murderer; if she walks back into court she gets arrested, jailed for 30 days and fined. Croley KILLS 12 or 13 dogs, starves half a dozen more, tears apart families and gets less then THAT? ?????????WHAT IS WRONG WITH OUR CITY/STATE/SOCIETY???????

I am DISGUSTED with how Judge Douglass is handling this case. To think MY TAX DOLLARS ARE PAYING FOR THIS BULLSH*T is incredible. Of course Heidi gets on the case, Croley gets a beautiful suit for court (I hear he has been going to soup kitchens)and this case gets shoved under the rug (just like her father!)

Any person with ANY brain could see and hear that the Judge, prosecutor and defense attorneys had every step of the pre-trial planned out and it was obvious that the family that traveled from NY would be kicked out of the courtroom even before the trial started. SINCE WHEN IS CRYING NOT ALLOWED IN A COURTROOM JUDGE DOUGLASS? Maybe if it was your daughter or son who was killed, maybe then you would have allowed your wife to cry in the courtroom. Of course you would have...I am DISGUSTED. I know where my next votes are NOT going...

What everyone can do is be there for the trial . Be polite , but everyone show solidarity for the people who had their animals die in this man's care .Call the Mayor and Council . Write letters of support and make sure the story does not die in the media . Tell the judge to remember he is elected , in polite letters .

This poor pathetic bastard doesn't even deserve to eat at a soup kitchen, like I said, I'm poor and struggling just like everyone else these days, but I'm still feeding my 3 beloved dogs!!!!

This is such an awful case. There should be no limit on the punishment for Croley. He is a disgusting being. I have posted on here before about the correlation between animal abusers and other vilolent crimes against people. Judge Douglas & the prosecutors better do their homework and punish to the fullest extent. Otherwise, you will be seeing
Croley's disgusting face time and time again. FBI uses animal abuse as a profiling tool, as those who commit serious felonies (rape, murder) typically have animal abuse in their background. 80% of women in battered women's shelters state their former husband/boyfriends also have tortured and or killed their family pet. Many other mass murderers and terrorists have animal abuse in their history. There is no excuse for what Croley did. None. These people trusted them with their cherished pets, PAID him to care for them. He blew the money. He could've been honest. He could've told these people to come get their pets, he's broke, but he didn't. He lied and lied and continued the abuse. This was pre-meditated murder.

JEFFS & others: go to nitrofoundation dot com. There are letters there that you can sign & send to Mayor Williams, Judge Douglas, the Prosecutor, etc.

Liz and Tom, I am so sorry that the judge has decided to treat you and everyone that has lost a pet in the nightmare, If the judge stays on the path his is on, we can only hope that the good people of Youngstown, DO NOT EVER VOTE FOR HIM AGAIN. I do believe in Karma. Please keep this is the news, on the radio, tv, on the the net, do not let this get sweeped under the carpet!

The Humane Agents broke into the kennel illegally and let the news crew in also. Since they broke in illegally, they put words into Steve Croley's Mouth saying" Times were tough, I didn't have the money to feed the Dogs". He never said that, as a matter of fact He had alot of Bil-jac in His fridge. He's an animal lover.He would feed His dogs before Himself. No one is realizing that Dogs can die from things other than starvation. I guess that was overlooked when Liz posted this. What She also forgot to post was that Her Dog Nitro was At High Caliber K9 to be evaluated whether He needed to be euthanized or could be placed with someone Who could control Him, because Tom and Liz couldn't. He had to wear a muzzle to be walked down the street. He also was banned from their neighborhood. He bit their Daughter, also Tom several times and bit Liz when She said goodbye to Him at the Kennel.

C.

OK, Katie/Steve, only Steve or Donna would have such info, first hand, and even if it were true, just how many working dogs of any breed have bit there owner/trainer. So go peddle you crap some place else. And if you had the Bil-jac there, then, there still is no excuse the dogs starved to death. Thank god you never loved a person like that or is that why Donna left you? You are to cruel! You are still a killer and you should be put down for aggression toward animals, they don't want or need your kind of love buddy!

Unfortunately I saw the pics and the skin on these poor dogs was stretched over their bones. They were starved, "Katie". If the Bil-Jac was in the fridge - why not feed it to the dogs? In addition, they were living in their own waste. We are not stupid. Photos do not lie.

So if words were put in Croley's mouth, then what is the truth? What are the 'other' reasons allllllll those dogs died? If they were sick, he could have called their owners? Why didn't he? If the dogs were not eating all this Bil-Jac he had, then why didn't he notice that they were all half the size than they were when he took them under his 'care'? What is your version of the "truth"?

I'm wondering if the Vindicator allows it's reporters to post on the discussion boards, especially when they are making things up.

"they are being disrespected? but shouting in the middle of a court proceeding isnt disrespectful? wow you are crazy. he is lucky the judge didnt hold him in contempt. you cannot do that in the court room, no matter what. ive watched murder trials where people whose family were killed sat and didnt say a word."

...Grkfire, you were obviously in Court and can therefore refute what others who also were in Court observed??

Get your facts straight!!!
What about the judge shouting "get out"?
Oh of course that doesn't count because the judge is anti-dogs which you evidently also are.

Or, are you Croley under another guise, trolling again and telling lies??

What is the connection between this Croley and Germany???

Because if he goes free after all this, I suspect he may bolt to Europe. What is to stop him opening another training centre in a different name?
I have friends in mainland Europe and shall be making them very aware of this situation.
By the time we are all done with him, he will have no hiding place in the world!!!!

"I'm wondering if the Vindicator allows it's reporters to post on the discussion boards, especially when they are making things up."

...well I am GOBSMACKED that low-life such as Katie/Cattledog/Croley (oh yes, it's obvious why you keep signing "C") can be released into the community after this outrage, to post on discussion boards such as this.

Stop trolling and start praying. Your punishment, if not in this life, will surely come to you in the next.
Because you are HATED and DETESTED.
You may be feeling very cocky right now because you apparently have the backing of this judge.

I don't think you have ANY REAL IDEA just how many animal lovers there are in this world - ALL the world - who hate your guts!!!!

I ALMOST had my dog trained by this guy. Some devine intervention prevented the scenario from ever occuring. He never was home when I got there, never returned calls, always left voice mail, etc. I got nervous and backed out quickly. THANK GOD for that! I can't believe how this has turned out. He is truly a disgusting individual. I can't say "man" because a real man would have never done this and I can't say "human being" because what kind of a human being would do this? He is a monster, plain and simple. It is a shame that monsters live amongst us daily and we never see them until it's too late. Not being a bible thumper, but believing in a higher power, I sometimes wonder if these are not the end of times. Scary.

First of all, Maite, C. is for My first name. Why don't You even put Your initials,P.M. And I know for a fact that reporters aren't allowed to post on forums other than their own when it comes to the subject at hand (Nitrofoundation). Stating the fact that Mr. Croley "Kills 12 or 13 dogs and starved a half a dozen more", is not true, or proven. What happen to innocent until proven guilty, Ms. Meade?

Do You think Attorney Heidi Hanni would like You posting negative things about Her Father?

C.

Does anyone really care if HH likes it if anyone posts negative things about her father? Hanni was NOT liked and that was a fact. When people are in the public eye, they have to deal with it.

Oh, this guy will get his day in court. He will get more than a fair shake and he will get off lightly. But no matter what happens, the pictures speak the truth and speak it loud - HE KILLED THOSE DOGS. THEY WERE ABUSED, NEGLECTED, AND SUFFERED WORSE THAN A MURDERER ON DEATH ROW SHOULD BE TREATED. You can't change change that fact. And you also can't change the fact that there are plenty of people who are angry and the grassroots movement to tell this story is growing and will not end. He may get off lightly here, but this story is circulating the internet and growing daily. He won't get away with it in public opinion.

And remember too, no matter where he goes, this will follow him. And the internet does not forget.

X...I could care less about HH or her dad. My only concerns are the lives lost, the families that are suffering and a sentence that fits the crime. (ALL the crimes) We cannot let this stop with a trial and sentence. We have to continue with the fight to stop such acts of cruelty. Those that are defending this guy want to add all this other crap to this story to diminish what really happened here. The fact remains that these precious dogs are gone. All those that want to forget that fact need to remember this is what its all about.

I just have to comment on Katie's statements "Stating the fact that Mr. Croley "Kills 12 or 13 dogs and starved a half a dozen more", is not true, or proven. What happen to innocent until proven guilty, Ms. Meade?" It seems to me that the pictures speak for themselves. Whether it was 1, 2 or more dogs, these animals were neglected and the conditions disgusting. Mr. Croley and whoever else was involved in this kennel should be held accountable. I have never posted on a blog before but have followed this one. I am the owner of two adopted dogs that probably live better then you Katie. And... they are most definitely more intelligent from reading your statements. Perhaps you and Mr. Croley should be locked in a kennel and live in your own waste without food for a while.

Katie, it must be hard to talk with all that BS in your mouth. So you are saying the dogs weren't starved to death? Good Lord, they looked like they were in a Nazi prison camp. Don't you realize that even if the dogs were dying of a disease and not starvation, it is also a crime to sit there and do nothing while they whither away to skin and bones? IT DOESN'T MATTER WHY THEY DIED - don't you understand that, idiot? This waste of human life Steve was responsible for their lives. He let them die. That's abuse - case closed.

Amen outraged

I'll second that luvsdogs!!!!!!!!!!!!

ME TOO LUVSDOGS!!!!!!!! ALL THE WAY!!!!!!!!!

the case isn't closed. so get over that remark.

Katie is right about one thing...the case isnt closed and never will be cause all those that lost their dogs cant "get over it". Its not something that you get over. Katie if you loved dogs like you say you would know that.

Evidently you have never experienced the unconditional love of a dog.

I will say this again....of the 7 dogs that died, 6 of them were Steve's. I can't even begin to explain to You how upset He is. I'm so sick of People saying case closed, like their minds...small and closed.

Everyone needs to know that Liz wanted Nitro to be euthanized and Steve talked them out of it. Tom, Liz, Donna and Steve all sat down to nice fresh Oysters that Liz and Tom brought from Home. When Liz said goodbye, Nitro bit Her. So, Liz wanted the Dog put to sleep and Steve wanted to save Him. For any of You who weren't paying attention, the dogs did not starve to death. Steve is the last Person that wanted to see Nitro or His own 6 dogs dead. Steve's doberman that was worth $30,000. was one of the ones that died, why would He starve Her to death?

C.

I should darn well hope he IS upset!!!

But have we seen any evidence of that yet??

Did HE cry in court???
Did HE say in court how sorry he was for what happened at his kennels???

You who know so much about Croley, "Katie " - tell us that!! you were obviously in court since you know EVERYTHING about all this and we know nothing.

So TELL us how much he bawled and cried at the death of these dogs that of course wasn't his fault, that he didn't even know about because little men from Mars had come down in the night and zapped them and left rotting bodies.

I was not in court. I talk to Him alot, now.

C.

Ok well that pretty much says it all!!