Animal Abuse: Sick dog neglected, left without vet care - Naugatuck, CT

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Case ID: 17861

Classification: Neglect / Abandonment

Animal: dog (non pit-bull)

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Sick dog neglected, left without vet care
Naugatuck, CT (US)

Incident Date: Wednesday, Mar 9, 2011
County: New Haven

Disposition: Alleged
Case Images: 2 files available

Alleged: Valerie Machnics

Case Updates: 2 update(s) available

A Naugatuck woman was charged with animal cruelty last Wednesday after an animal control officer said she found the woman had neglected her dog, which had severely infected ulcers in its mouth and was so emaciated that its skull was visible through its skin.

One animal control officer said she had never seen a dog in worse condition during her years working with animals, according to court documents. China, a pit bull mix, was euthanized after a veterinarian determined she was near death.

Valerie Machnics, 41, of 100 Hunters Mountain Road, Naugatuck, was arraigned in Waterbury Superior Court, where a judge set her bond at $10,000.

A Naugatuck animal control officer was called to Machnics' neighborhood in January on a report that one of Machnics' dogs, a black Newfoundland named Batman, was roaming around.

Animal control officers returned to Machnics' home a few days later to see if the dog was tied up. They found the dog was secured, but didn't have shelter.

Animal control officer Kristy Sturges contacted Bikers Against Animal Cruelty, a non-profit group of motorcyclists that raises funds to help with veterinary bills, among other volunteer work for animals.

The group brought a dog house to Machnics' property days later. As members unloaded the shelter, animal control officer Adrienne Croce knocked on the door of Machnics' house and discovered three dogs inside the home, including a white pit bull named China that appeared sickly and emaciated, court documents state.

Croce told Machnics to immediately get medical treatment for her dog, but the unemployed mother of two said she didn't have the funds, according to court documents.

About a week later, Machnics called Croce saying China was dying. Croce arrived at Machnics' home, finding her carrying the dog down the driveway in her arms.

Croce and another animal control officer rushed China to an emergency clinic, where a veterinarian said China was in shock and was barely able to stand. Her ribs, skull, pelvis and backbone were visible.

The vet found several deep, severely infected ulcers on the inside of China's mouth, thick yellow discharge coming from her eyes and found she was unable to breathe through her nostrils because they had crusted over with discharge.

The vet told officers China was near death. She added that China had endured undue suffering and pain, according to court documents.

Local animal control officers contacted state animal control officer Barbara Godejohn, who went to Machnics' property a week later to inspect her other animals. Court documents indicate Godejohn had been to Machnics' property in the past in response to complaints about her horse.

Godejohn reported that Machnics' other dogs appeared to be healthy and her horse appeared thin, but not emaciated.

It's unclear whether Machnics' animals remained at the property.

Case Updates

According to information obtained by an FOI request, a lengthy state-local probe into an animal cruelty investigation has led to two resignations and the termination of another in the Naugatuck Animal Control office.

A lengthy internal investigation into the mistreatment of animals has left the Naugatuck Police department coping with an understaffed animal control division after the resignations of two staff members and the termination of a third.

The investigation was sparked by the case of a euthanized dog named China, which police said was emaciated after not being properly cared for by a Naugatuck resident. Officials discovered subsequent negligence on the part of a part-time and a full-time animal control officer, according to information obtained by a Freedom of Information request obtained by Naugatuck Patch on Thursday.

As a result, Naugatuck now only has one part-time person staffed at the animal control office.

This is an account of an internal probe conducted by the state Department of Agriculture, with assistance from the Naugatuck Police department.

A Malnourished, Emanciated Dog and a Four-Month Investigation

It all began Jan. 22.

Then-Assistant Animal Control Officer Adrienne Croce got a call from Valerie Machnics, of 100 Old Highway Road, that her dog China was dying and needed help. At the time of the call, Croce was at the Oxford Animal Control Office, and while off-duty she enlisted their help, the investigation stated. Croce did not immediately contact Naugatuck's head Animal Control Officer (ACO) Kristy Sturges or the on-duty part-time officer, Jennifer Parcelli, the investigation detailed.

The dog was found emaciated in Machnics' home. The investigation noted it wasn't the first time Croce had seen China. Croce and Sturges were there just weeks before on Jan. 5, responding to a separate complaint of a roaming dog named Batman. Croce also returned the following week on Jan. 15 and informed Machnics that China needed medical attention �" something Machnics said she couldn't afford.

But, according to the report, Croce noted the white pit bull-type dog inside the home was "very emaciated."

"Officer Croce knew the dog was in trouble," the state's investigation stated. "She had never seen a dog in such poor condition in all of her years working with animals."

After finding the dog in a malnourished state on Jan. 22, Croce took China to Beacon Valley Animal Hospital, where veterinarian Stacy Dudek determined the dog was in a state of shock and had to be euthanized.

"She was hypothermic, had pale gums, was barely responsive to external stimuli and too weak to stand, even with assistance," Dudek wrote in a letter obtained in the investigation. "China's body condition was extremely poor and all of her bony prominences were visible (ribs, back bones, pelvic bones and head bones) due to loss of muscle mass."

The dog had fleas over her body, was missing a portion of her hair coat and had sunken eyes, the letter stated.

"It is clear that this dog was suffering and near death," she said.

After the dog was euthanized, a Naugatuck police investigation began. Machnics was charged with charges after the state seized a pair of malnourished horses from her home.

The animal control office was apparently familiar with Machnics' home. According to the investigation, the office went there six times in January 2011, four times in December 2010 and once in April 2010.

No reports were ever written related to any of those visits, the investigation stated.

"She's Just Old"

The fact that Croce called the Oxford Animal Control officer while off duty �" instead of contacting the Naugatuck officials directly �" is a violation of department code, as well as policy and procedure, the investigation said. But Croce had had violations within the department before.

"She's had a history of policy violations, and a failure to follow instructions," Chief Christopher J. Edson told Patch.

But while Croce waited to contact Sturges after she took China to the vet, Sturges responded that the dog wasn't sick, the investigation said.

"Several times, the assistant ACO of Naugatuck stated that she was told, by her boss (Sturges), that China wasn't sick but was 'just old,'" Dudek wrote in the investigation. "China didn't become ill from old age. China was clearly suffering from an organ system failure, plus or minus other disease process."

Dudek then stated it was the owner's responsibility to address such issues as organ failure, which takes "months/years" to accumulate. She then moved away from discussing the owner to directly implicating "town officials."

"And town officials were aware of the pet's condition," she said. "It became their responsibility to act on China's behalf. My hope is that in the future, town officials can be more knowledgeable about what constitutes neglect of a pet."

In the investigation, the Department of Agriculture implicated Sturges directly as mishandling the case. The report also stated Sturges and Croce "had numerous opportunities to check the status of all animals," as well as the "living and physical conditions of the canines."

"Sturges failed to effectively supervise Croce, specifically failing to plan, organize, staff, coordinate, report and direct personnel in what 'should have been' a cruelty investigation," the investigation stated.

A third party, Parcelli, has since resigned her post at the department, Harrison said. Parcelli's sworn testimony in the case corroborates claims that Sturges failed to supervise Croce properly, the report detailed.

Pacelli's statement to state Animal Control Officer Todd A. Curry, who conducted the internal probe, contradicted Sturges' statement that she never contacted Pacelli the night China was found emaciated and in need of euthanization.

In fact, Sturges' reaction was to let Croce handle the case, the report detailed.

According to a report by Naugatuck police Capt. Jeremiah J. Scully, "Pacelli stated 'however on this same day at 1657 hrs (4:57 p.m.), I received a call from my boss, Sturges. Sturges told me she had spoken with Croce and found out that the dog China was either being put down or was about to be put down and that Croce was claiming animal cruelty. Sturges told me that it was Croce's case and for me not to get involved."

Sturges also told Pacelli "(Sturges) was not going to get involved either," Scully wrote in the report. Phone records detail the conversation lasted 31 minutes.

"The proper course of action would have been for Sturges to respond to work and conduct an investigation or assign Pacelli, the on-duty animal control officer, to investigate the case," Scully said in the report.

Scully called for a three-day suspension of Sturges, something that the Naugatuck police chief enacted on April 18 �" four months after the state was first contacted for an investigation.

Sturges then put in a letter of resignation, and will leave the department on May 31. Croce has been fired, after the investigation determined she acted with her own tools in the case �" a cell phone and car �" but also utilized her position as an animal control officer while off duty.

Neither could be reached for comment.

Further Issues Remain, But Might Not Conclude

In an interview Thursday afternoon with Patch, Edson confirmed the internal investigation was closed and no criminal charges are pending for those involved.

But some lingering issues, as they relate to the animal control office, are still under investigation by the state, he said.

But, Edson added, because Sturges is now resigning her job, "I don't know if that investigation will conclude." Edson declined to specify what issues remain.

The entire investigation began after the Oxford Animal Control Office contacted the state Department of Agriculture on Jan. 24 about Croce's initial mishandling of the China case. But by that point Scully said Naugatuck had already begun its own investigation.

"Croce and Sturges had already come to me," Scully said.

Then, Animal Control State Supervisor Roy Connors contacted Scully about an investigation and Scully said the Naugatuck department welcomed the internal probe, given the state's ability to do an impartial investigation.

"In conversations with him, it became clear they have the experience and expertise to conduct an investigation properly," Scully said.

At this point, Machnics' court proceedings are still ongoing. She is due back in Waterbury Superior Court on June 21 and,
The majority of animals dealt with now are being given over to shelters and other municipal facilities, Harrison said. The department has four dogs at the Cherry Street pound, two of which are there on quarantine.

With an understaffed department and an animal control officer now out the door, the department is looking to further part-time options. But until that is done, Naugatuck officers are directly dealing with animal control issues.

"We're doing what we can," Harrison said.

Source: naugatuck.patch.com - May 19, 2011
Update posted on May 20, 2011 - 8:10AM

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A Naugatuck woman already facing an animal cruelty charge was arrested again this week on two more charges of animal cruelty.

Valerie Machnics, 42, 100 Hunters Mountain Road, turned herself in to the Naugatuck Police Department at 12:24 a.m. on Thursday. Machnics was wanted on a warrant from the State Animal Control Office, local police said.

Machnics was released on a $500 non-surety bond and is scheduled to appear in Waterbury Superior Court on May 10. Details on the case were slim Friday. The State Animal Control Office did not return a phone call late Friday afternoon.

In March, Machnics was charged with animal cruelty after police responded to a complaint on Jan. 25. Police found a sick and emaciated pit-bull dog on her property, police said. The animal was euthanized.

Source: naugatuck.patch.com - May 7, 2011
Update posted on May 7, 2011 - 11:46PM

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Sick dog neglected, left without vet careNaugatuck, CT (US)

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Sick dog neglected, left without vet care
Naugatuck, CT (US)