A Chillicothe man has been charged with animal abandonment in connection with the case of a small dog named TJ that was left outside the Ross County Humane Society facility in southern Ohio.
On June 29, 2026, Hopewell Heritage Headlines reported that staff at the Ross County Humane Society discovered the dog, identified as TJ, abandoned in a crate outside their facility on the morning of June 29 after being left there the previous evening around 8:50 p.m. on June 28. The organization sought public help to identify the driver of a black pickup truck involved and any information about the dog’s history. The post noted that full videos were available in the comments and encouraged proper surrender procedures for anyone needing to rehome an animal.
Shortly after posting the article Hopewell Heritage Headlines received information from an anonymous reader who identified as a family relation to the dog’s owner. The source stated that TJ belonged to a family member, who has dementia and lives with her granddaughter. According to the source, the granddaughter and her family went on vacation and left the elderly dog owner in the care of her daughter and the daughter’s husband, Anthony Hopkins. The source indicated that the person in the surveillance video of the abandonment looked like Anthony Hopkins and that he drives a black Chevy truck. The source said the dog was abandoned either the day of or the day after the granddaughter went on vacation. The source, who asked that their name not be used, later expressed that it does not sound like TJ will be going back to the original owner.
Hopewell Heritage Headlines forwarded the information to the Ross County Humane Society on behalf of the source. The Ross County Humane Society later removed the post. The organization has not issued a public update since.
The source later contacted the outlet again and provided court documents confirming the charges.
According to public records from the Chillicothe Municipal Court, Anthony L. Hopkins, 55, of 70 Beatrice Lane, Chillicothe, Ohio 45601, was charged with Abandon Animal under Ohio Revised Code section 959.01, a misdemeanor of the second degree. The violation date is listed as June 28, 2026, at 20:53. The complaint was filed by County Dog Warden Ryan Waits.
Hopkins appeared for arraignment on July 9, 2026, at 9:00 a.m. before Judge Keith A. Washburn. The case remains pending.
Hopkins is a registered sex offender in Ohio. According to the Ohio Attorney General’s sex offender registry and prior local reporting, he was convicted of rape in 2004 and is classified as a pre-AWA sexual predator. His registered address matches the address in the current court records.
The timeline of the offense, the description of the vehicle, and the location of the incident align with the details in the original shelter report and referenced surveillance video. The shelter continues to advise anyone needing to surrender an animal to contact them directly to follow proper procedures.
This is a developing story. Further updates will be provided as additional court proceedings occur or official statements are released from the humane society or dog warden’s office.
As with all pending legal matters, the allegations are subject to the court process and suspects are presumed innocent until proven guilty.
