Woman accused of ordering dogs to attack 6-year-old sentenced

WARREN COUNTY, Ohio (WXIX/Gray News) - An Ohio woman will spend two years in jail for child endangerment charges and her dogs will be humanely euthanized after a 2022 dog attack that left a 6-year-old girl injured.

Cassie Thierauf, 38, was living in a duplex in Lebanon, Ohio, when the August 25, 2022, incident took place. Warren County court documents say she lived on one side of the home, and the 6-year-old victim and her family lived on the other side.

Warren County Prosecutor David Fornshell said Thierauf and another person were in the backyard allegedly doing drugs when the family came outside, and the 6-year-old’s mother began to videotape Thierauf.

The prosecutor said an argument began, and eventually, the mother went inside to call the police.

While this was happening, the 6-year-old, her sister and a neighbor girl were in the front yard of the home playing, Fornshell said.

The 6-year-old’s father spoke in court Wednesday about what he says happened that August day, WXIX reports.

“She called two dogs to attack four little girls who were out front,” said the father in court. “My 6-year-old, mauled by two of them, while she stood there on her front porch watching.”

The 6-year-old underwent multiple emergency surgeries after suffering bites to her head and body, police said.

In a video provided by police, officers say Thierauf can be heard telling the girl’s mother, “Your kids shouldn’t have f***** with me and my dogs.”

Thierauf pleaded guilty to child endangerment charges as part of her plea agreement, but at the same time, she denied the allegations made against her.

“I would never use my dogs in a malicious or threatening type of way towards anybody,” Thierauf told the judge. “This all occurred because I didn’t shut my front door.”

The judge said he did not believe Thierauf and sentenced her to two years in jail with the possibility of two years probation after she is released. The dogs will be humanely put down since they are considered contraband in the case.

Copyright 2023 WXIX via Gray Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved.