Update:Embury Street dogs and animal welfare wins in animal abuse trial! Thank you MSPCA law enforcement for a solid investigation and working so closely with us! click here to see CBS 3 springfield coverage of the case.
Update: Buddy, The last of the Embury ST. Dogs has been placed in a forever loving home!! TJO Staff would like to wish Buddy and his new family the best! Buddy is truly an inspiration to us all! We woud also like to thank his foster mom Lisa for taking such good care of him while he waited for his new family!
Mother Pleads Guilty to Animal Cruelty, Son Faces Trial on 11 Felony Counts
February 10, 2011
MSPCA investigation uncovered 11 emaciated puppies and adult dog
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Belinda Eaddy pled guilty today at the Springfield District Court to three felony counts of animal cruelty while her son, Ishmael Wilson, will face charges on 11 felony counts of animal cruelty at a trial set for May 26. The pet owners were each charged with 11 counts of animal cruelty in August 2010 following an investigation by the MSPCA’s Law Enforcement department. The MSPCA investigation uncovered eight emaciated Pit Bull puppies and three adult Pit Bulls. Eaddy has been sentenced by the court to one year of supervised probation during which time she is not to own any animals.
”This was one of the most severe acts of neglect that I have ever investigated,” said veteran MSPCA Law Enforcement Officer Christine Allenberg. “This form of cruelty is slow and torturous and can result in death even after treatment is provided. We are grateful for the staff at the Thomas J. O’Connor Center for the quick work that they did to rescue these animals from unimaginable pain and suffering.”
Animal Control Officers from Thomas J. O’Connor Animal Control and Adoption Center in Springfield were first alerted to the animals’ conditions in August. After arriving at the Embury Street residence the officers quickly rounded up two adult Pit Bulls and four puppies that were running loose. The dogs were later surrendered to the adoption center as well as a third adult dog that had been inside the residence when officers first arrived. The MSPCA’s Law Enforcement department was immediately alerted to the condition of the seven animals. Further investigation into the allegations within 24 hours led to the discovery of four additional Pit Bull puppies that were severely malnourished, weighing the least of all of the dogs.
The 11 canines were brought to the Thomas J. O’Connor Center to receive care. During their assessment the puppies weighed between 20-30% of their normal bodyweight and required critical care from adoption center staff members. Due to the severe lack of care and previous neglect resulting in extreme emaciation, two adult dogs were humanely euthanized.
“The health of these animals was extremely fragile when they arrived at our adoption center,” said Pam Peebles, Director of the Thomas J. O’Connor Animal Control and Adoption Center. “We estimated the puppies to be six-months-old, however due to the malnourishment that they suffered, they looked much younger. The weights of the puppies ranged from seven to twelve pounds. At their age they should have weighed 30-40 pounds.”
Over the following months, six puppies were rehabilitated and placed up for adoption at the Thomas J. O’Connor Center where they met their future owners. The two remaining puppies were transferred to the MSPCA’s Noble Family Animal Care and Adoption Center in Methuen for care and adoption. One puppy was adopted soon after arriving at the MSPCA however the second, Teeny, continued to suffer from life-threatening health issues. The puppy was sent to Boston’s Angell Animal Medical Center for life-saving critical care and was adopted following recovery.
Animal cruelty is a felony in Massachusetts punishable by up to five years in prison and a fine of up to $2,500. Members of the community with information regarding acts of animal cruelty are asked to contact the MSPCA’s Law Enforcement department at (800) 628-5808.
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Thomas J. O’Connor Rescues, Cares for Pit Bulls, MSPCA Filing Charges
Eleven Pit Bulls receiving critical care as result of 24-hour investigation
UPDATE (August 17, 2010): The MSPCA filed 11 charges of animal cruelty today against Belinda Eaddy and Ishmael Wilson regarding this case. They will both be arraigned on the 11 charges on October 20 in Springfield District Court.
Springfield’s Thomas J. O’Connor Animal Control and Adoption Center is caring for eleven, severely emaciated Pit Bull dogs following a rescue operation that quickly turned into an MSPCA investigation. The MSPCA will be filing charges of animal cruelty following a 24-hour investigation that uncovered the most malnourished victims at a Springfield residence Tuesday afternoon. The Pit Bulls, many of which are puppies between 20-30% of their normal bodyweight, are currently receiving critical care at the adoption center.
Animal Control Officers from Thomas J. O’Connor were first alerted to the animals’ conditions Monday afternoon. After arriving at an Embury Street residence the officers quickly rounded up two adult Pit Bulls and four puppies that were running loose. The dogs were later surrendered by the owner to the adoption center as well as a third adult dog that had been inside the residence when officers first arrived. The MSPCA’s Law Enforcement department was immediately alerted to the condition of the seven animals. Further investigation into the Embury Street allegations on Tuesday led to the discovery of four additional Pit Bull puppies that were severely malnourished, weighing the least of all of the dogs.
“The health of these animals is extremely fragile at this point,” said Pam Peebles, Director of the Thomas J. O’Connor Animal Control and Adoption Center. “We estimate the puppies to be six-months-old, however due to the malnourishment that they suffered, they look much younger. The weights of the puppies range from seven to twelve pounds. At their age they should weigh 30-40 pounds. The extent of malnourishment is serious and severely affects the health of the puppies and adult dogs. We hope to have them all stabilized within the next few days to weeks, however their conditions could worsen as a result of sustained neglect. Now that we have ownership of all of the dogs from the residence we will work to treat, rehabilitate, and evaluate them daily.”
The dogs all suffer from extreme emaciation and will require feeding regimens that can last from several weeks for the larger canines to months for the tiniest victims. It has been reported that two of the starved, adult dogs attacked and killed a Chihuahua while loose, searching for food. These dogs are being held for behavior and medical evaluation as well to determine if their actions were the result of searching out a food source following extreme starvation.
”This is one of the most severe acts of neglect that I have ever investigated,” said veteran MSPCA Law Enforcement Officer Christine Allenberg. “This form of cruelty is slow and torturous and can result in death even after treatment is provided. The extent of the damage done to these dogs will be uncovered if and when they recover. However, we are grateful for the staff at Thomas J. O’Connor for the quick work that they did to rescue these animals from unimaginable pain and suffering.”
The care provided by the Thomas J. O’Connor Animal Control and Adoption Center comes during the busiest time of year for adoption centers and shelters. The adoption center is currently at capacity with staff caring for more than 130 dogs, many of which are serving the 10 day hold period required by law for stray dogs. To cope with the increased number of surrendered animals and strays during the summer, the adoption center has transferred more than 600 animals since January to other shelters and adoption centers, including those operated by the MSPCA. To find out how to adopt an animal from Thomas J. O’Connor or to donate to the care that the animals receive please visit http://www.tjoconnoradoptioncenter.com/tjo/
Animal cruelty is a felony in Massachusetts punishable by up to five years in prison and a fine of up to $2,500. Members of the community with information regarding acts of animal cruelty are asked to contact the MSPCA’s Law Enforcement department at (800) 628-5808. To donate to the statewide MSPCA Law Enforcement department please visit http://www.mspca.org/about-us/press-room/2010/thomas-j-oconnor-rescues.html.
