MEDFORD, Ore. – A man pleaded “no contest” to charges of animal abuse after he left two dogs to die in a Medford hotel room. He also pleaded guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm in a separate case.
The Jackson County District Attorney’s Office said on July 22, 2017, an Oregon State Police trooper approached a stopped vehicle on Highway 62. Tabari Leteef Hayes was sitting in the vehicle with a shotgun in a case. Once the trooper learned Hayes was a convicted felon, he was arrested for illegally possessing a firearm.
In a separate case in September 2017, police responded to a Medford hotel for a call involving dead animals. The D.A.’s office said Hayes lived in a hotel room for about three years and was evicted. When he moved out of the room, painters found two dead dogs locked in the bathroom.
Medford police said the dogs were extremely malnourished and both in the early stages of decomposition.
Once located, Hayes admitted to having the dogs in the hotel room. While he denied actual ownership, he said he was responsible and admitted to being accountable for what happened.
According to prosecutors, Hayes knowingly left the dogs confined. He said the dogs stopped moving and died about two weeks prior to his final day at the hotel. The dogs had no food or water. The D.A’s office said, “Mr. Hayes intentionally and knowingly deprived both animals of their basic needs and maliciously cause the death of the two dogs.
On January 9, 2018, Hayes pleaded guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm and “no contest” to two counts of aggravated animal abuse.
He was sentenced to 15 months in prison with three years of post-prison supervision. He is prohibited from owning an animal for five years.
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