MASSACHUSETTS -- A 59-year-old man who took five dead dogs to a veterinary hospital last month is scheduled to be arraigned on five counts of animal cruelty charges Friday in Dudley District Court.
An arrest warrant for David Pelletier of 181 Shepard Road, Sturbridge, was issued Thursday after the clerk magistrate in Dudley District Court found probable cause.
Mr. Pelletier was arrested without incident, police said. He is being held at the Sturbridge Public Safety Complex.
On Oct. 28, the Sturbridge Police Department and the Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, Law Enforcement Division, were notified that Mr. Pelletier had taken five dead German shepherds to the animal hospital at the Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University in Grafton.
The autopsy report from Tufts determined the cause of death was parvovirus.
According to WebMD.com, canine parvovirus is a highly contagious viral disease that can produce a life-threatening illness. The virus attacks rapidly dividing cells in a dog's body, most severely affecting the intestinal tract. Parvovirus also attacks the white blood cells, and when young animals are infected, the virus can damage the heart muscle and cause lifelong cardiac problems. The general symptoms of parvovirus are lethargy, severe vomiting, loss of appetite and bloody diarrhea that can lead to life-threatening dehydration.
Before arresting Mr. Pelletier, Sturbridge police tried multiple times, without success, to interview him, according to police.
(Telegram & Gazette - Nov 12, 2015)
No comments:
Post a Comment