MIAMI COUNTY — The Concord Township homeowner found to be housing 126 dogs in deplorable conditions on May 6, 2019 changed her plea this week in Miami County Municipal Court regarding the case against her.
During a pre-trial conference held this week, Larisa A. Solomon, 53, of Concord Township, entered pleas of guilty to one count of child endangering, a first-degree misdemeanor, and one count of committing an act of cruelty under the prohibitions concerning companion animals, a second-degree misdemeanor, according to Municipal Court Judge Gary Nasal’s office. She was previously scheduled to go to trial on Monday.
As part of her plea agreement with prosecutors, the remaining charges in her case were dismissed, which included an additional child endangering charge and approximately 10 other charges of animal cruelty.
Nasal ordered a pre-sentence investigation to be done. Solomon is currently scheduled to be sentenced on March 25 in Municipal Court.
All charges stem from unsanitary, unhealthy, and unlivable conditions at the residence that Solomon shared with her two children, according to a previous statement from Miami County Sheriff Dave Duchak.
On May 6, the Miami County Sheriff’s Office along with animal control officers from the Miami County Animal Shelter executed a search warrant at 3365 Peebles Road in Concord Township. Officials discovered a puppy mill operation inside the home, which was later condemned due to unsanitary living conditions.
Two teenagers and the homeowner were relocated with help from Miami County Children’s Services.
At the conclusion of the search warrant, 126 dogs, including many puppies, were seized by the Miami County Animal Shelter. The homeowner relinquished the rights to 122 of the dogs, citing three were deemed family dogs. Four pregnant dogs remained at the shelter, and the remaining puppies and dogs were all adopted within 48 hours from the shelter.
Neighbor complaints regarding the residence went back to at least 2016. Solomon was reportedly a registered American Kennel Association breeder and was paid $800 per puppy.
