Sheriff 'Heartbroken' On Finding 9 Dogs Dead and Others Starving Inside Ohio Home

An Ohio man who allegedly lied about training canines for the U.S. Border Patrol is accused of killing at least nine dogs in his care, authorities allege.

Stephen Gossmeyer, 42, of Madison County, was arrested on March 14 and charged with animal cruelty and tampering with records, according to online court records.

He remains held in the Madison County jail on a $25,000 bond.

“I’ve been on a lot of animal calls throughout my career here at Madison County and by far, this was probably the worst location I’ve been at when it comes to the living conditions of these animals,” Madison County Sheriff John Swaney said, NBC4i reports.

Deputies went to Gossmeyer’s home on March 14 after receiving numerous reports about neglected animals and possible dead dogs and for a possible probation violation, according to an affidavit of community control violation obtained by PEOPLE.

Gossmeyer is on probation for a 2022 indictment on two felony charges of theft by deception in which he was ordered to pay $49,566 in restitution, according to the affidavit.

On March 14, Gossmeyer’s probation officer accompanied a Madison County sergeant and several deputies to his rural property to conduct a search of the residence at the request of the Chief Probation Officer, the affidavit says.

When the probation officer asked Gossmeyer if he had any dead dogs, he replied, “I told you already, no,” the affidavit says.

Upon searching they found one dead dog buried in rubble.

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Gossmeyer said he didn’t have any more dead dogs and allowed police to search the property, where authorities found eight other deceased dogs, the affidavit claims.

“The defendant knew the name of each and every deceased dog that we found,” the probation officer says in the affidavit.

Parrots, snakes, lizards, frogs and spiders were also found at the residence. 

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Gossmeyer was being paid to train some of the dogs that were found dead, NBC4i reports.

Dog owners were told to pick up the remaining dogs. The Animal Humane Society was asked to pick up the other animals.

The incident came to authorities’ attention in February, when Gossmeyer reached out to his probation officer asking for permission to travel to Texas to train dogs with the U.S. Border Patrol, the affidavit says.

On March 5, Gossmeyer allegedly provided verification that he had been hired for a private K-9 detection and apprehension training seminar for the agency, which was proven to be falsified, the affidavit claims.

A Border Patrol Agent confirmed in an email that she met with Gossmeyer in Texas to give back a “personal dog” she had adopted from his girlfriend after an incident with it at her home, the affidavit alleges.

Gossmeyer said he was going to be in Dallas “doing a training” in February and met her at a San Antonio gas station, where she “gave possession of the dog to him” and went home, it says.

“Nothing at any time was related to my work with the United States Border Patrol,” she wrote. “I do not have contracting abilities at my job. I do not have any connection to our canine program.”

She went on to write that the email he provided as verification “is false” and that she reported the “supposed contract” between them to her chain of command.

Gossmeyer’s attorney did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment.