Woman charged with cruelty after taping dog's mouth shut

MASSACHUSETTS --  A Malden woman who allegedly taped her dog’s mouth shut with 4½ feet of electrical tape because the animal got into the trash, failed to show up for court Wednesday after being charged with animal cruelty.

“It was horrible — it was disgusting actually — to have someone treat an animal like that,” said

Joseph DellaPorta, a neighbor who arrived on scene and helped officers calm the dog. DellaPorta said he first thought the dog, which was lying underneath his truck, had been hit by a car.

“I got closer and saw its whole muzzle wrapped with electrical tape; real tight, really, really tight, she taped her mouth closed.”

Stephani C. Wadman, 21, of 10 Rand St., Malden, was arrested and charged with animal cruelty; at 6:44 p.m. Tuesday.

Wadman did not appear for court Wednesday and a default warrant was issued, according to court documents.

Police responded to Ballard and Dudley streets at 6:08 p.m. Tuesday on the report of a dog that was possibly hit by a car, according to Saugus Police Officer Marc Scorzella.

Officers reported finding a brown-and-white female pit bull with its mouth taped shut, lying down in the street.

“This made the animal to be in a distressed state trying to breath through its nose with shallow breaths,” Scorzella wrote in a report. “It also appeared to be dripping saliva from the side of its mouth.”

Police and witnesses said Wadman came outside and told officers the dog was hers and that she had taped its mouth shut.

“She was then asked why she had done this and she stated, ‘because the dog was into the trash and that she bites,’” Scorzella reported.

DellaPorta said the dog was a “sweetheart” who snuggled up to him and his wife as they tried to comfort it and the tape was removed.

“If homeowner’s insurance would allow me to have a pit bull, I’d have taken it home,” he said. “That dog was a sweetheart.”

He offered a different opinion of Wadman.

“This girl comes over and has a big attitude because we were saving her dog,” DellaPorta said.

“Another 10 minutes, the dog would have been dead. A straight trash bag, I hope she never gets the animal again.”

DellaPorta said the dog was also skittish as soon as it saw Wadman.

Police arrested Wadman on the spot. Officers reported the animal control officer took the dog — described as 2 years old, “very skinny in stature and shaking uncontrollably” — due to the “severe abuse.”

Officers measured the electrical tape to be 4 ½-feet long.

(ItemLive - Nov 15, 2013)