56-years-old THOMAS HUNT JR. (pictured), owner of a dog training and boarding facility, is due to appear in Superior Court in New Haven on August 12, 2022, to face animal cruelty charges that stemmed from an investigation which revealed, among other issues, that two Cane Corsos in his care, one male and one female, “mauled and killed” a Mini Schnauzer.
On June 6, 2022, HUNT, of Naugatuck, turned himself in and was charged with two counts of animal cruelty at his former Eagle K-9 Academy facility on 809 Carrington Road, Bethany.
Investigators discovered that the two Cane Corsos, named Nova and Moose, had lost significant weight over several months while at HUNT’s facility with one described as “emaciated” in the warrant affidavit.
The condition of Nova and Moose was brought to the attention of Woodbridge Animal Control after HUNT reported by phone on April 8, 2022, that they had attacked the Mini Schnauzer. According to his version of the facts, an employee “failed to secure a latch.”
Nova and Moose were then brought to the Woodbridge Animal Control facility for quarantine and were found to be “extremely underweight”, reports Hartford Courant.
Moose, 4 years, 11 months, weighed 87.3 pounds, while veterinary paperwork showed that about two months earlier, he weighed 130 pounds.
Nova, 3 years and 9 months old, weighed 88.7 pounds. Records from two months earlier showed she weighed 98 pounds.
On April 12, 2022, Animal Control Officer Karen Lombardi along with state animal control officer Charles DellaRocco interviewed Nova and Moose’s guardian. He explained to the officers that he had dropped off his dogs in December 2021, because he was going through a divorce and needed a place for them while going through the difficult time. The man also said when he dropped off Nova and Moose, they were “in good health.”
After meeting with the furbabies’ guardian, Nova and Moose were taken to Animal Clinic of Milford to be examined. A veterinarian confirmed they were underweight, with Moose’s “spine and ribs” prominent on a visual exam.
When HUNT was questioned about the dogs, he told investigators that he was feeding them “six cups of food a day.”
In January 2022, a state inspection noted that the dogs’ rabies shots weren’t current. Reportedly, HUNT said: “I probably should have taken them to the vet.”
According to Hartford Courant, in the last year Eagle K-9 Academy received at least one warning from the state’s Department of Animal Control Unit following an inspection that showed safety and sanitation violations.
As reported by Hartford Courant, “Alleged violations have included: feces and urine in the runs and kennels, a puddle of urine in the lobby, no mechanical ventilation, inadequate drainage, old fencing with no top, extremely dirty fan and ceiling, lack of repairs that could cause injury, mouse feces near a kitchen sink. One report stated that five of nine dogs were not up to date with rabies shots and eight of nine didn’t have licenses.”
The news agency reached out to HUNT for comment but he reportedly said in a text: “I have been ordered to not comment.”
Hartford Courant also reached out to HUNT’s attorney, Sally Pruitt, but she did not return the agency’s calls for comment.
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