Tyler J. Schaul also charged with battery by prisoners

STAR JOURNAL REPORT

A 20-year-old Rhinelander man accused of mistreating two dogs that died in the city last month was bound over for trial Tuesday in Oneida County Circuit Court.

Tyler J. Schaul, who remains in custody on bond, appeared in court for a preliminary hearing with his attorney, public defender Chad Lynch. Schaul’s next court date in the case is an arraignment Feb. 26.

Schaul has been charged with two felony counts of mistreatment of animals, two misdemeanor charges of failing to provide proper food to confined animals and another misdemeanor count of resisting an officer.

Upon conviction, the two felony counts alone carry a combined maximum possible penalty of three years of initial confinement in prison, followed by four years of extended supervision, and/or fines totaling $20,000.

Schaul’s ex-girlfriend reported to police Jan. 27 that he told her about her two dogs dying. She had lived with Schaul at his residence on Arbutus Street until the beginning of December.

One of the Rhinelander police officers who responded to Schaul’s residence, Ben Curtes, was called by district attorney Michael W. Schiek to testify at Schaul’s preliminary hearing.

Schaul allegedly showed the officers a dead German shepherd on the bathroom floor with the dog having very little muscle mass and its bones very identifiable. The basement where the dog apparently lived was covered in feces. Schaul claimed the dog died from eating chocolate, but the officers found the evidence did not support that.

Schaul also showed the officers a dead pit bull in a detached, unheated garage, where dog was frozen in a plastic pet crate. The interior of the crate was covered in feces with the dog covered with feces as well. The pit bull also appeared extremely emaciated.

Schaul claimed the pit bull froze to death while in a pet crate in front of a window the German shepherd had broken through in the dining room several weeks ago when he was at work, even though the heat was operating and the baseboard heat was alongside the kennel.

OTHER CHARGES PENDING

Since Schaul has been in custody, he has faced subsequent charges related to an altercation reported Sunday at the county jail where he allegedly punched another inmate and gave him a black eye. Schaul is accused of punching the inmate after that inmate wouldn’t give a remote to other inmates to watch television and was jumped on by them.

Schaul has also been charged with a felony offense of battery by prisoners and a misdemeanor count of disorderly conduct. That felony charge upon conviction carries a maximum possible penalty of three of initial confinement in prison, followed by three years of extended supervision, and/or a $10,000 fine.

Schaul made his initial court appearance Monday on the latest charges. His preliminary hearing in that case is set for Feb. 22.