A Trotwood man was scheduled to be in court Tuesday to face cruelty to animals charges after staff with the Montgomery County Animal Resource Center say they gave him multiple chances to improve the conditions his three dogs were kept in.

According to court documents, staff performed at least five checks on the dogs who lived in kennels in the backyard of 4916 Glencross Road between September and November of 2012. They reported finding the conditions “unsanitary,” on all but one occasion with moldy food, dirty water and animal feces that had not been cleaned up.

During all but one of the checks, the dogs’ owner was not at the house, and family members said he doesn’t stay there all the time. He was given either written or verbal warnings to clean up the conditions during each visit.

ARC Director Mark Kumpf said it was only after multiple warnings that the county decided to prosecute the owner.

The dogs are two female pit bulls and one male husky. In November, one of the dogs got loose in the neighborhood, and ARC staff was once again called. Charges were filed in early December.

Johnnie Walker Jr., is charged with nine counts of cruelty to animals. He has already paid a fine for not having dog licenses for the animals.

After failing to appear in court once in January, Walker pleaded not guilty to all charges on Jan. 30, according to Montgomery County Municipal Court records.

Walker has prior criminal convictions in Montgomery County for disorderly conduct.

The ARC responds to more than 1200 reports of canine cruelty and neglect each year. Anyone who is concerned about a dog’s welfare can contact the shelter at (937) 898-4457.