Abused Pitbulls in Limbo After Year Long Court Case

More than a year after a , his two dogs deemed as "evidence" in the case are still homeless.

Chris Loman, 27, formerly of 36 Bay View Ave., for allegedly hitting his girlfriend and "body slamming" and hitting his dogs with a cooking pan.

The dogs, which were taken away from the residence last March by the SPCA, are still being kept at the .

"The man is fighting to keep the dogs... he says he wants them back," said Deputy Chief Steven Contente.

According to Deputy Contente, Loman cannot obtain the dogs not only because he is still doing time at the ACI for unrelated convictions, but also because the case has not yet closed. Deputy Contente says Loman is expected to be in court on April 2, to finally face the charges of mistreatment of animals.

"At this point, Loman is only accused of the crime, not convicted," Deputy Contente said. "Hopefully the April 2 court date will be the final disposition of the case and we can go from there."

Until then, because the dogs reamain labeled as "evidence" and Loman refuses to relinquish ownership, the dogs are unadoptable and are forced to stay at the shelter.

"Pitbulls do not do well in shelters," said Animal Control Officer Dyane Gibree. "It is not good for their mental health and they physically suffer from being so confined."

Upon first glance the two dogs may appear fine in the shelter, but upon closer look, Gibree's point is clear. From being confined in a small cage, one of the dogs has gnawd on its leg leaving a rough, open wound. The other dog has raw areas on its tail from banging it on the chain linked cage.

According to the Rhode Island Court Connect, Loman has an extensive history with local law enfrocement, raging from several arrests on felony domestic charges to mistreatment of animals and drug possession.