By Amanda Garrett
Beacon Journal staff writer
A dog trainer who rescued Gordon — a pit bull once used as a bait dog in an Akron dog-fighting ring — has run into trouble with the Geauga Humane Society, which last month seized 15 dogs once in the trainer’s care.
Dan Makara blames the ongoing investigation on a fallout with a former landlord who evicted him from the farm where he lived and ran Cleveland Dog Rescue and Rehabilitation Center. But the humane society said its probe is focused on Makara, his dogs and how he spent money people donated to care for the animals.
Leah Backo, spokeswoman for the Geauga Humane Society, said the investigation began in late August following a complaint against Makara. On Aug. 27, investigators said they rescued 15 dogs that Makara abandoned on the farm in crates in 90-degree heat.
“The conditions were deplorable,” Christian Courtwright, chief humane agent, said in a statement.
Three days later, humane society officials said, they interviewed Makara and he signed over custody of the dogs.
“Records documenting training implemented and how monetary donations were used and recorded have not been found,” the humane society said. It sent out a news release Wednesday asking people with information about Makara and his operations to contact them.
Makara, who now operates Cleveland Area No-Kill Rescue and Training Center in Cuyahoga County, said most of his supporters have stood by him.
On Wednesday, he posted a lengthy defense of his actions on his rescue’s Facebook page. Among other things, Makara said he hadn’t been on the farm in the two weeks before the dogs were seized and that his landlord and people she hired were caring for the animals.
Makara said he has no access to the first rescue’s bank accounts and that he had turned over much of the operation to his former landlord leading up to his eviction. Makara did, however, maintain the rescue’s PayPal account where supporters subscribed to make monthly donations to support his rescue efforts.
When Makara opened his second rescue on the west side of Cleveland, he said he changed the name on the PayPal account and continued using the funds for his new rescue.
He said Friday he was caring for 13 dogs at his new rescue, including a 10-year-old Rottweiler that was stabbed in the neck with a knife. An X-ray Makara shared showed a knife blade penetrating the front of a dog’s neck, reaching through the bones of its spine.
Makara said he worries the bad publicity could prevent him from saving dogs that will be euthanized. Gordon, the pit bull from Akron, was the first dog Makara rescued.
The Akron Beacon Journal wrote about Gordon twice: Once in January after Makara saved him from being euthanized, trained him and found him a home; and a second time in July after Gordon’s new owner abandoned him and Makara picked him up at a shelter in Bowling Green.
A family soon adopted Gordon, who appears now to have finally found his forever home.
Amanda Garrett can be reached at 330-996-3725 or agarrett@thebeaconjournal.com.