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LYNETTE AYALA charged with animal cruelty for shooting a neighbor’s dog with a pellet gun

- Massachusetts, USA -


Detectives with the New Bedford Police Department have charged 32-year-old LYNETTE AYALA with animal cruelty.


The charges stem from an incident that took place on March 1, 2025, when officers responded to a home on Clifford Street and met with a woman who reported that her dog was possibly shot with a pellet gun.


WJAR identified the dog as a 1-year-old female French Mastiff named Zuri and her guardian, the woman who called the police, as Yolanda Todman.


Zuri was playing in the fenced-in yard of her home when she was shot. Security cameras from Ms. Todman’s home captured the sound of two loud bangs. Zuri began limping in pain, she was visibly injured, and in the video published by WJAR she could be heard crying.


After an investigation into the incident, AYALA was charged with animal cruelty but police tell me she was not arrested.


Ms. Todman explained to WJAR that she had casual interactions with AYALA but never expected her to do this. She said: “I don’t have any problems around here with anybody. So I just don’t know why.”


Zuri is still in pain and the medical expenses are costly. A member of Zuri’s family has created a GoFundMe to help cover Zuri’s medical care. At the time of writing, $2,095 has been raised.

New Bedford Police Chief Paul Oliveira said: “Animal cruelty is a serious offense, and we will not tolerate it in our community. Thanks to the swift work of our animal control officers and detectives, we were able to take action in this case. We remain committed to seeking justice for innocent animals and ensuring the safety of all residents.”


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Voice For Us Disclaimer: This story is sourced from the press release by the New Bedford Police Department. Please note that details may be removed or new information added should updates become available.

In the case of charges being dropped, dismissed, or the case being purged, this article will be rectified accordingly, if official documentation is provided to Voice For Us.




SAMUEL R. DEMELLO, teacher at Berkshire Waldorf School, arrested - He was witnessed beating his dogs

- Massachusetts, USA -


The Great Barrington Police Department arrested 34-year-old SAMUEL R. DEMELLO, a third-grade teacher at Berkshire Waldorf School, after he was witnessed beating, choking, punching, and throwing his defenseless dogs.


According to the criminal complaint obtained by Voice For Us, on February 10, 2025, an officer with the Great Barrington Police Department was dispatched to a residence on Castle Street for a report of animal abuse.


Upon arrival, the officer was met by two women whom I will refer to as W1 and W2.


W1 told the officer that from the front windows of Mason Library, she saw a male, later identified as DEMELLO, throwing a dog violently to the ground and choking the dog. She added that she could hear the poor soul screaming in pain.


W1 then followed DEMELLO from the library all the way to Castle Street. She told the officer that for the duration of the whole journey she saw DEMELLO dragging the dog, violently beating the dog, and strangling the dog. Once on Castle Street, DEMELLO picked up the dog and threw him in a vehicle. W1 approached DEMELLO, talked to him “trying to have him give up the dog to her”, stated the complaint.


W1 explained to the officer that her attempt to get the dog was unsuccessful and she started to feel unsafe and began to fear for the dog’s safety.

W1 then knocked on a few houses but no one answered until she arrived at W2’s home and told her what was happening. W2 then alerted the police.


W1 told the officer that she did not have a phone and could not record what she saw nor call the police.


W2 told the officer she knew DEMELLO and added he was her neighbor. W2 went on to say that she had seen him abuse his dog in the past.


The officer obtained DEMELLO’s identity and in the meantime, another officer arrived on the scene. They ran a query on the license plate and the name of SAMUEL R. DEMELLO came up. It turned out that DEMELLO was connected to three “animal calls”, according to the complaint.


The officers then returned to W2’s home, and she showed them a video of October 2024, in which DEMELLO could be seen “screaming at a long haired white dog right in front of her house, throwing the dog to the ground and pulling him up the street.”


The following day, when W2 went to the Great Barrington Police Department to give her statement, she was able to show more videos about DEMELLO being abusive toward his dogs.


According to the complaint, in one video, DEMELLO could be seen dragging one of the dogs by the collar in his backyard. The dog was understandably yelping and crying. At one point DEMELLO stopped and punched the dog twice.


In the video, W2 could be heard saying: “the dog is crying , he's pulling on his neck, he pulled on her neck and smashed him in the face, I think he's holding her mouth so he can't make noise.”


DEMELLO then held the dog down and struck him/her three more times.


W2 was also able to provide the officer with names of other neighbors who had witnessed the incident.


On February 11, 2025, DEMELLO was placed under arrest and was charged with two felony counts of animal cruelty. He told the officers his dogs were safe and that he gave them to his parents in East Hampton.


While DEMELLO was being booked, one of the officers spoke with one of his parents and they confirmed the dogs were with them.


DEMELLO told the officers “he needs mental help and that he has been hurting himself.”

In view of this, DEMELLO was transported to Berkshire Medical Center.


His arraignment is slated to take place at Southern Berkshire District Court on February 18, 2025, at 8:30 a.m.


I have reached out to Berkshire Waldorf School to find out whether DEMELLO was still employed and at the time of writing, I have not received a response.


I apologize for not having a clear mugshot of DEMELLO. The photo I am using was attached to the criminal complaint.


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Voice For Us Disclaimer: This story is sourced from the criminal complaint provided to Voice For Us. Please note that details may be removed or new information added should updates become available.

In the case of charges being dropped, dismissed, or the case being purged, this article will be rectified accordingly, if official documentation is provided to Voice For Us.




KIMBERLY ANN SAVINO arrested – Dead dogs found in a freezer many live animals found in filth

- 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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Voice For Us Disclaimer: Please note that details may be removed or new information added should updates become available.

In the case of charges being dropped, dismissed, or the case being purged, this article will be rectified accordingly, if official documentation is provided to Voice For Us.


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