(7-20-25) This past week in the Toledo suburb of Sylvania Township police were called to the Walmart on a report of a dog that had been left unattended in a car in the parking lot. Two crates on the backseat of the car contained two cats and four kittens. One kitten appeared to be deceased.

It was 92 degrees outside.

When the driver was located, Dawn Wiard (46) of Alpena, Michigan and the Cherry Street Mission, she claimed the dog was a service animal. Wiard told the officers she had just run inside to grab a few things and that they were not allowed to take her animals.

When Wiard was asked to go outside, she struck one of the officers in the face and put the officer in a headlock.

Wiard was arrested and charged with assault on a police officer, a fourth-degree felony; seven counts of animal cruelty, all second-degree misdemeanors; and resisting arrest, also a second-degree misdemeanor.

Wiard was booked into the Lucas County Jail. She was arraigned Wednesday with her bond on the nine charges was set at a total of $30,000.

Toledo Blade– Woman arrested after Walmart incident for assaulting police officer, cruelty to animals

A pretrial hearing is scheduled for Wednesday in Sylvania Municipal Court.