Community Corner

Pug Owner Charged with Animal Cruelty

The Attleboro woman allegedly failed to seek treatment for the dog whose abdomen had been cut from one to the other.

An Attleboro woman pleaded not guilty to a charge of animal cruelty last month after she was accused of failing to seek veterinary treatment for her pug whose abdomen had been cut from one end to the other.

The charge against 41-year-old Jennifer Kelly was filed by the nonprofit animal advocacy group MSPCA-Angell, which issued a press release about the case Friday. Phone calls to Kelly's home by Attleboro Patch were not answered. 

Attleboro's animal control officer had taken possession of the dog named Jasabelle in September after Kelly's neighbor reported her belly was slashed and had been wrapped in a dirty bandage, according to the MSPCA's release.

Find out what's happening in Attleborowith free, real-time updates from Patch.

"Multiple conversations with Kelly revealed that the dog was slashed in June—but because Kelly would not divulge additional information, further details about the incident remain unclear," the MSPCA's release states. "What is certain, however, is that the injured dog suffered without veterinary care—which is a violation of the state's animal cruelty law."

Jasabelle is living at Pug Rescue of New England where she is waiting to be adopted, according to the MSPCA.

Find out what's happening in Attleborowith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Kelly is expected to return to court later this year for a pretrial hearing.

 


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