Target: Joseph T. Corradino, State’s Attorney of Fairfield County, Connecticut
Goal: Prosecute woman charged with animal cruelty after a severely emaciated pit bull was allegedly found roaming with extensive hair loss and severely underweight.
A deeply troubling case has emerged in Connecticut, where a woman has been charged with cruelty to animals after a severely emaciated pit bull was allegedly found roaming the streets with extensive hair loss, appearing weak and cold. According to police, animal control officers responding to a report of a stray dog noticed immediately that the animal was in alarming condition — significantly underweight, visibly malnourished, and suffering from what appeared to be a serious and untreated coat condition. When the dog was brought to a veterinary clinic for evaluation, the findings were damning: the animal was said to be malnourished and in need of proper care. Most disturbingly, the most recent veterinary records the owner could produce were from 2021 — when the dog was reportedly exhibiting many of the same issues but weighed 19 pounds more.
According to authorities, the charged woman turned herself in on a warrant on April 6, and was released after posting seven percent of her $7,500 bond for an upcoming court date. The gap in veterinary care — five years, during which the animal reportedly deteriorated significantly in weight and condition — suggests a prolonged and systemic failure to provide basic medical care and adequate nutrition.
Animals like this pit bull cannot advocate for the care they deserve. They depend entirely on the humans in whose custody they live. When those humans allow a dog to deteriorate for years from a documented condition without seeking treatment, that is not oversight — it is cruelty. The State’s Attorney must ensure this case is prosecuted with the full seriousness it demands and that the accused is prohibited from owning animals in the future.
PETITION LETTER:
Dear Attorney Corradino,
We are writing with serious concern following the arrest of a woman charged with cruelty to animals after a pit bull in her care was allegedly found roaming the streets in a severely emaciated condition, with extensive hair loss and signs of significant weakness and malnutrition. A veterinary evaluation stated the animal was malnourished and required proper care. Most troubling, the most recent veterinary records the owner could produce dated back to 2021 — at which time the dog was reportedly presenting with many of the same issues, but weighed 19 pounds more than when found. This suggests the dog’s condition had been deteriorating, without veterinary intervention, for approximately five years.
We are gravely concerned that this case represents not a single moment of neglect but a prolonged pattern of failing to provide a dog with basic medical care and adequate nutrition. A five-year gap in veterinary records for an animal with documented health issues is not a minor administrative oversight — it is, we submit, evidence of sustained and allegedly deliberate neglect. The animal was reportedly found in a public street, cold and visibly suffering. That it reached this state over such an extended period without anyone intervening speaks to the alleged seriousness of the accused’s failure of duty.
We respectfully demand that your office pursue the full available charges and penalties in this case and ensure that any sentencing includes a permanent prohibition on animal ownership. This pit bull deserved consistent, attentive care — and allegedly received none for years. We ask that your office ensure those alleged responsible are held fully accountable.
Sincerely,
[Your Name Here]
Photo credit: Stacy
