Police arrest man accused of shooting and leaving dog tied to tree at Forest Hill Park

CLEVELAND - A man who police say shot a mastiff then left it for dead at a Cleveland Heights park has been arrested.

Ramone Clements, of Cleveland, was taken into custody Wednesday, charged with one count of cruelty to animals, a second degree misdemeanor, and one count of discharging a firearm with city limits, a first degree misdemeanor.

Clements is accused of walking a dog into Forest Hill Park in Cleveland Heights on the night of Nov. 25, tying him to a tree then shooting him. Police said Clements fired four shots and struck the dog at lost two times.

Dee Shedlow, a professional dog walker, found the animal chained to a tree and left for dead at the park the next day. She's troubled that the charges in this case are misdemeanors.

"I think the way people treat animals is indicative of the way they treat other people," she said.

The dog, now named Forest, is staying with a foster family in Summit County.  PAWS Ohio executive director Amy Beichler said he has a broken leg as a result of one of the bullets.

"We are number 34 in the nation when it comes to our animal cruelty laws," she said. "That has to change. It just has to change."

Clements is currently in Cleveland Heights Jail where he will be eligible for bond after processing and his initial court appearance.