by Alex Lloyd Gross
Steven Henry Coakley, is being called a lot of names, none of them nice and all of them fit. Coakley is also the recipient of a brand new arrest record, after he did the unthinkable last month. He lived with a room mate and that roommate had a German Sheppard named Abby. The dog loved it’s owner and the owner loved Abby.
Unfortunately, the owner had some medical issues that required a stay in a hospital. When he came back, Abby was gone. He had gone to the hospital on December 2, 2025 and returned the day after Christmas. Police were called. Abby’s care was entrusted to Coakley, who proved himself to be irresponsible and not capable of tasking care of a dog.
Coakley told police he was frustrated because Abby kept wining and going to the bathroom in the apartment. That could have been rectified by taking the dog for a walk. Instead, Coakley, took Abby out for some exercise by driving her in his truck to a park in Lansdale near the Pennsylvania Turnpike.
Coakley, then threw a frisbee to the dog and on the final throw he threw it far enough so that Abby would run far. He then jumped into his truck and drove away, leaving poor Abby to face the elements alone.
The story has a happy ending. On December 12, 2025, the Towamencin Police Department located an unknown dog and transported her to the SPCA. The SPCA reported the dog was malnourished at the time she was brought into their care. The investigation revealed the dog was in fact Abby. On the day Abby was found the temperature did not reach 35 degrees Fahrenheit.
On January 14, 2026, Coakley turned himself in to Warrington Police. He was processed and arraigned by Judge Stacey Wertman, who set bail at $55,000 unsecured. Coakley ischarged with THEFT BY UNLAWFUL TAKING OR DISPOSITION (M1) (18) 5533 (A) CRUELTY TO ANIMAL (M2) (18) 5532 (A1) NEGLECT OF ANIMAL (M3) (18) 5532 (A2) NEGLECT OF ANIMAL (M3)