Target: Sharmese L. Walcott, State’s Attorney of Hartford County, Connecticut
Goal: Prosecute to the fullest extent of the law the individual who allegedly kicked a dog twice, threw her onto furniture, lifted her overhead, and dropped her on the floor in a video that generated worldwide outrage.
A video that generated significant worldwide interest allegedly shows a fitness influencer kicking a dog twice, picking her up and throwing her onto a hassock. The suspect then reportedly lifted her overhead, carried her by the neck, and dropped her on the floor — a sequence of alleged violence against a helpless animal that prompted a criminal investigation spanning two states. The accused, who turned himself in on two warrants after the footage went viral on social media, was arraigned on charges of cruelty to animals and violation of a protective order in Connecticut Superior Court. A judge set bail at $275,000 and ordered that the accused is not permitted to own pets. The presiding judge stated that the facts before him required significant bond amounts, setting $250,000 for the animal cruelty charge alone.
According to the prosecutor, the video shows the accused lifting the dog over his head at one point — conduct she described as forming a strong case for the state. The accused’s defense attorney has argued that a longer version of the footage shows a younger dog aggressively attacking an older one prior to the accused’s intervention, and that his client acted to separate the animals. Investigators, however, reportedly obtained the warrant on the same day they became aware of the circulating footage, describing it as depicting the accused violently assaulting one of his dogs. The case involves not only the animal cruelty charge but also a violation of a protective order, and the accused purportedly faces additional pending legal matters in other jurisdictions.
The conduct allegedly captured in this video — kicking a dog, hurling her onto furniture, hoisting her overhead, and dropping her to the floor — seemingly represents exactly the kind of deliberate violence against a defenseless animal that Connecticut’s animal cruelty statutes exist to punish. Desmond’s Army Animal Law Advocates, the organization that posted the video and helped bring it to public attention, has noted that animal abuse and domestic violence are deeply and consistently linked — a pattern that the full scope of the charges in this case allegedly reflects. The State’s Attorney for Hartford County must pursue this prosecution with the maximum force the law allows. Sign this petition to demand full accountability for the dog named Stitch, who allegedly endured this treatment and deserved far better.
PETITION LETTER:
Dear Attorney Walcott,
We are writing to urge your office to prosecute the individual who allegedly kicked a dog twice, threw her onto furniture, lifted her over his head, carried her by the neck, and dropped her on the floor. This alleged abused was caught on film. The prosecutor in this case has described the evidence as forming a strong case for the state, and a judge set bail at $275,000 — including $250,000 for the animal cruelty charge alone — reflecting the seriousness with which the court has viewed the alleged conduct. The accused is additionally barred by court order from owning any pets.
We acknowledge that the defense has raised the existence of additional footage purportedly showing a prior altercation between the two dogs. However, the charges authorized by prosecutors and the bail set by the court indicate that authorities have carefully reviewed the available evidence and determined that the conduct warrants serious criminal prosecution. The dog subjected to this reported abuse — kicked, thrown, lifted overhead, and dropped — deserved protection, not the treatment she allegedly received. Desmond’s Army Animal Law Advocates, which helped bring this footage to public attention, has rightly noted the well-documented connection between animal abuse and domestic violence, a pattern that the full scope of the charges in this case allegedly reflects.
We respectfully but firmly demand that your office pursue the maximum penalties available under Connecticut law for both the animal cruelty charge and the violation of a protective order. Glastonbury police worked swiftly and diligently to obtain an extraditable warrant and coordinate with out-of-state agencies to locate the accused — a level of dedication this community and these animals deserve to see matched in the courtroom. Please ensure this case is prosecuted with the full seriousness it demands.
Sincerely,
[Your Name Here]
Photo credit: Laura Baez
