Lisa Susan Richards, 48, of Hemlock Trail, is charged with cruelty to animals. Police said Richards turned herself in to police on a warrant Tuesday.
According to the police report, a Newtown woman had adopted several kittens from Richards in the past, with the understanding that Richards would be responsible for taking the cats to get their shots and for neutering.
Over several years, she had paid Richards more than $1,000 for such services, and showed police $523 in receipts from an organization called “Operation Spay,” a non-profit feral cat outfit that Richards apparently founded.
[Sounds like she was pocketing the spay/neuter fees and donations and performing surgeries herself.]
In June, the woman adopted “Jack” from Richards. She dropped off the cat with Richards on Thursday, Aug. 2 for Richards to have the cat neutered and to get his shots. When she picked the cat up on Monday, she said it did not look good [she described seeing a 'hole' in his abdomen], but Richards reassured her Jack was simply stressed from being around other cats.
The woman later decided to bring the cat to a vet, though Richards tried to talk her out of it, saying the cat only needed to have antibiotic ointment applied to the site. The woman eventually brought Jack to the vet, who said the incision looked unusual and that the cat’s abdomen was not shaved, as is typically the practice for neutering. The incision was infected and necrotic, the vet noted.
[The cat has since recovered, but the vet bill was nearly $2,000.]
Richards said she brought Jack to a vet Aug. 3 to be neutered, but the veterinary office she cited told police they had not treated Jack and had not performed any surgery at all on Aug. 3.
Richards has been charged with misdemeanor cruelty to animals for failing to properly care for an animal in her care. It is punishable by up to one year in jail and a fine of up to $1,000. She was released on a promise to appear in court Jan. 29.
(Trumbull Patch - Jan 25, 2013) (Trumbull Times - Jan 25, 2013)
