- Connecticut, USA -
On Sunday, November 29, 48-year-old CATHERINE DARIA PALMER (pictured below), turned herself into New Canaan Police after a warrant for her arrest had been obtained by Animal Control Officer Allyson Halm.
Officer Halm began investigating PALMER’s home on 151 Butler Lane on August 12, 2020.
Officer Halm and Canaan Police Officer Emily Clark responded to the address after receiving a report from tenants, about a sick puppy inside the property.
Upon arrival, they met with a tenant who was holding a small white puppy who was unresponsive.
The tenant said she sent PALMER a text message to let her know the police had been called about the puppy.
Officer Halm’s investigation revealed that PALMER was the home’s owner but did not live there.
The tenants stated she routinely left puppies in the property.
In the warrant arrest application, officer Halm wrote: “There we observed three small white fluffy puppies approximately 9-12 weeks of age in a gated area of the kitchen and two small white adult dogs. There was feces and urine covering the floors. A bowl of dry food and water was visible. Conditions on the floor and walls were unsanitary for both the dogs and the tenants who resided there.”
The tenants than told officer Halm that they pay PALMER monthly rent but there was no verbal or contractual arrangement for them to care for the continual flow of puppies.
According to the tenants, PALMER was never around to take care of the furbabies so they would clean up after them and give them food and water or they would suffer.
From a further investigation it emerged that PALMER was “importing puppies and operating a Pet Store without a license.”
Additionally, officer Clark found PALMER’s profile on numerous social media links like Puppyfinders and Cassie’s Puppies, evidence that PALMER had been actively advertising puppies.
On September 21, officer Halm was contacted about two Maltese puppies, Zoe and Winter, who had died at the home.
Officer Halm removed the bodies and sent them to UCONN for a necropsy.
The results came back revealing that the furbabies died of Parvovirus and one of them also had Pneumonia.
It also came to light that on September 16, a Maltese puppy named Buddy had died and tenants buried him in the backyard.
In the warrant arrest application, officer Halm also mentions the presence of other puppies and adult dogs at the property, including one Poodle puppy named Piper, and one Morkie named Bean.
New Canaan Police Chief Leon Krolikowski said that the puppies and adult dogs seized during this investigation are being well cared for and are thriving.
CATHERINE D. PALMER, also known as CASSIE PALMER and CATE PALMER, resident of 4 Lafayette Court, Apt 5B, in Greenwich, was charged with three counts of cruelty to animals.
She was released after posting a $10,000 bond and is expected in court on December 28.
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