Dog found emaciated, vomiting worms
Danville, NH (US)Incident Date: Monday, Nov 26, 2007
County: Rockingham
Charges: Misdemeanor
Disposition: Acquitted
Person of Interest: Wanda Cote
Case Updates: 2 update(s) available
A woman is slated for trial May 30 in Plaistow District Court on an animal cruelty charge involving a female beagle named Hope.
Wanda Cote, 46, of 6 Cote Drive, was arraigned Jan. 14 on the misdemeanor charge. She is contesting the charge.
She was arrested by Danville police on Nov. 26, 2007, after a two-month investigation by Hampstead Animal Control Officer Dale Childs.
Childs was asked to investigate because Danville's animal control officer, Sheila Johannesen, has a restraining order against Cote.
The investigation began around Labor Day, when Hope was found as a stray, Childs said, adding the 4-year-old beagle was emaciated and vomiting worms.
Cote said yesterday that Hope had given birth to puppies and escaped the day she was found by animal control officers. She said the dog was not emaciated.
Childs said the dog was brought to several veterinary hospitals in the area. The dog was found to have a heart murmur. Hope was taken to the New Hampshire Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals in Stratham, where she remains.
Case UpdatesA local woman charged with animal cruelty was found not guilty after a two-day trial in Plaistow District Court.
Judge Robert LaPointe ruled that the state failed to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that Wanda Cote negligently deprived care to her 4-year-old female beagle, Hope.
Cote, 46, of 6 Cote Drive was arrested by Danville police Nov. 26 after the beagle was found by authorities in early September.
Authorities maintained the dog was emaciated and vomiting worms. Cote denied the allegations, saying Hope had always been a thin dog and gave birth to nine puppies about three weeks earlier.
The judge noted in his ruling that there was disputed testimony at the trial as well as differing opinions from the veterinarians who testified for Cote and for the prosecution about whether the dog was emaciated.
The trial started May 30, was continued, and ended June 26.
"I knew I was not guilty all along, but I absolutely feel vindicated," Cote said yesterday after release of the ruling.
Cote's husband, Charles, who helped care for the dog, said the judge's decision came as no surprise.
"This whole thing was a farce from the beginning," he said.
Prosecutor Jill Cook did not respond to a call seeking comment on the ruling.
The lead investigator in the case, Hampstead Animal Control Officer Dale Childs, said she and other members of the investigative team are disappointed with the decision.
"Sometimes, Lady Justice doesn't serve us well, and that was the case here," she said. Childs was asked to investigate because Danville's animal control officer, Sheila Johannesen, has a restraining order against Cote.
Danville police Chief Wade Parsons said the investigative team respects the judge's ruling.
Cote said she is considering a lawsuit against the towns of Danville, Hampstead and Plaistow for damaging her reputation.
Cote said her puppy sales business has plummeted because of a wave of hate mail generated by the animal abuse case.
In addition, her husband said the couple's children were mocked by classmates at school about the allegations against their mother.
Furthermore, Wanda Cote said she was recently disturbed to hear comments by a Danville selectman broadcast on the local cable television station.
She said Selectman Shawn O'Neil stated on air that he heard Cote incriminated herself on the stand during the trial. Cote said O'Neil laughed after making his remark.
O'Neil was not available yesterday to respond to Cote's contention nor to the possibility of her bringing a lawsuit against the town.
Parsons declined to comment on a possible lawsuit because he said it was the first he heard of potential litigation.
Meanwhile, Cote said she will defend herself against a charge in a separate but related case. Authorities allege that she perjured herself on the stand last year during testimony in support of a request to have Hope returned to her.
Cote said all the puppies died of starvation after Hope was taken away. Authorities maintain otherwise.
The perjury allegation has been forwarded to the Rockingham County attorney's office for a possible grand jury indictment, Childs said.
Cote said she wants her dog back and expects the town of Danville will return the animal to her once it receives written notification of the judge's ruling.
Cote said she will go to court to get Hope back if the dog is not returned to her.
Hope was taken to the New Hampshire Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals in Stratham. | Source: Eagle Tribune - July 2, 2008
Update posted on Jul 6, 2008 - 10:44AM |
Suspense hangs over the case of a Danville woman charged with animal cruelty. The two-day trial of Wanda Cote, 46, concluded yesterday in Plaistow District Court.
Judge Robert LaPointe said he would take the arguments under advisement and render a decision by Monday.
Cote was arrested by Danville police on Nov. 26, 2007, after a 4-year-old female beagle named Hope was found as a stray. The dog belonged to Cote.
Authorities maintain the dog was emaciated and vomiting worms. Cote denies this.
In her lawyer's closing arguments yesterday, Stephen Jeffco said his client had fed and cared for Hope, consulting her veterinarian on the dog's diet after it got sick.
Prosecutor Jill Cook said she rested her case on the evidence, including testimony from four veterinarians.
"Four veterinarians all said the same thing - that dog was malnourished," Cook said.
Cote testified that the dog was thin to begin with, and was depleted after giving birth to nine puppies in August. She said the dog escaped a month later.
Cote, of 6 Cote Drive, was arraigned Jan. 14 on the misdemeanor charge. The maximum sentence for the charge is one year in prison.
She was arrested after a two-month investigation by Hampstead Animal Control Officer Dale Childs.
Childs was asked to investigate because Danville's animal control officer, Sheila Johannesen, has a restraining order against Cote. The investigation began around Labor Day, when Hope was found as a stray, Childs said earlier.
Childs said the dog was brought to several veterinary hospitals in the area. The dog was found to have a heart murmur.
Hope was taken to the New Hampshire Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals in Stratham. At last check, that is where the dog remained. | Source: Eagle Tribune - Jun 27, 2008
Update posted on Jul 6, 2008 - 10:43AM |
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