- Massachusetts, USA -
Following an animal welfare investigation, the Middleborough Police Department has charged 43-year-old KIMBERLY ANN SAVINO with twenty counts of animal cruelty.
In a press release police said that SAVINO turned herself in at Wareham District Court on November 7, 2024, after Middleborough Police had obtained a warrant for her arrest on October 30, 2024.
On October 18, 2024, Middleborough Animal Control responded to a home on 53 Precinct Street to execute an administrative warrant as part of an investigation prompted by neighbors’ complaints.
According to NBC Boston, prosecutors said that “neighbors had reported concerns about animals at the home, with underweight and muddy horses chewing on boards from hunger.”
Nicole Piacentini, Plymouth County Assistant District Attorney, said: “In the basement they discovered 19 animals, 17 dogs, two cats all in crates. All covered in urine and feces. The animals had no food, no water. It appeared the horses were chewing on the shelter as they had no food or water in the stalls. When neighbors would go over to feed the horses, the horses would rip the hay out of their hands because they were so hungry.”
Some of the animals were found lying on newspapers covered in filth. Officials also discovered six plastic caskets with decaying dogs.
Ms. Piacentini added: “Further into the basement was a freezer in which officers located approximately 15-20 more deceased dogs.”
On the same day, officers with the MSPCA Law Enforcement Department also executed a search warrant in reference to the welfare of the horses on the property.
According to prosecutors, SAVINO didn’t primarily live in the home, but in western Massachusetts, and police said she visited once a week.
Plymouth County District Attorney Timothy J. Cruz said that before the MSPCA executed the search warrant, officers tried working with SAVINO to improve the horses' health but that she wouldn't show up and canceled on meetings.
In April 2024, while inspecting the property, MSPCA officers found SAVINO's horses to be “significantly underweight and were being fed with ‘very poor-quality hay’.” DA Cruz explained that officers had pre-existing concerns regarding SAVINO as in 2014, she was convicted for housing thirty-seven dogs in inhumane conditions. She was ordered to pay about $40,000 in fines.
On November 7, 2024, SAVINO was arraigned in Wareham District Court and pleaded not guilty to twenty-six charges of animal cruelty. Judge Edward H. Sharkansky ordered SAVINO be released on her own personal recognizance and was ordered not to have any contact with any animals.
DA Cruz had asked for a $5,000 cash bail, arguing that SAVINO was a risk and referred to the 2014 charges.
CBS News reports that outside court, SAVINO said: “This is America and even though things can look very condemning, I think people need to keep open minds, and wait and see. Things are not always what they appear to be.”
SAVINO is due back in court on December 10, 2024, for her pretrial hearing.
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How very sad that humans have devolved so much that they now force animals to live in the same squalor with which they’re comfortable. RIP to those that died & prayers for those that survived. All of you deserved better.