Case Snapshot
Case ID: 19601
Classification: Choking / Strangulation / Suffocation
Animal: dog (pit-bull)
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Abuse was retaliation against animal's bad behavior
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Attorneys/Judges
Defense(s): Richard P. Silverstein


For more information about the Interactive Animal Cruelty Maps, see the map notes.



Thursday, Jan 12, 2012

County: New Haven

Disposition: Alleged

Alleged: Alex Wullaert

Case Updates: 1 update(s) available

Branford Police officers along with a State Animal Control Officer arrested Alex Wullaert, 22, of 57 East Main Street, Branford on charges of animal cruelty in connection with the killing of his pit-bull, boxer mixed-breed dog in January of this year.

State Animal Control Officer Todd Curry, who works for the State of Connecticut Department of Agriculture, said that the case originated on March 11, 2012 in Madison when a resident located a deceased dog discarded in a plastic bag in the woods by a lake and reported it to Madison Police.

Madison Police Officer Kimberly Lauria, who investigated the incident, was able to determine that Wullaert was the owner of the deceased animal due to an identifiable micro-chip that was recovered during a necropsy. Officer Curry said, "that through her further diligent investigation, Officer Lauria was able to contact and later interview Wullaert, who confessed that he choked the animal at his Branford home after it urinated on his leg and bit him." Once the animal was deceased, Wullaert placed it in a plastic bag and discarded it in Madison.

"The local officer did an excellent job," said Curry.

Wullaert was charged with cruelty to animals and littering. He was released on a Written Promise to Appear in New Haven Court on May 15, 2012 at 9:00 a.m.


Case Updates

An accused dog killer was surrounded by animal rights activists as he left court in New Haven. Some shouted "coward" and called him a murderer.

"Put a scare into these people as a deterrent," said Carol Richart. "Let them know we won't stand for it."

22-year-old Alex Wullaert of Branford is accused of strangling his dog, Desmond. Wullaert adopted Desmond from a shelter soon after his former girlfriend gave the dog up.

Shelter volunteers that cared for Pitbull-Boxer mix were outside court.

"We had really hoped he would have been on a couch playing with toys, then we found out what really happened," said Melissa Izzo, who volunteers at the shelter.

Wullaert told investigators he only fed Desmond one cup of rice a day and left him alone for 12 hours routinely. Then in January, when dog urinated on him and bit him, Wullaert went into an uncontrollable rage

In court documents , Wullaert admitted to strangling the dog, dumping him in a lake, and then returning to put flowers on the water as a sort of apology for what he did.

The dog's remains were found in January in Madison. A tracking chip implanted in the dog led police to Wullaert.

"We want his murderer to get the maximum," Izzo said.

Through Report It we learned of a Facebook page Justice For Desmond , with more than 2,000 likes.

The young man showed no response, but animal rights activists vow to shadow him each time he comes to court.

Wullaert is due back in court on June 5. He was released on a promise to appear. He faces charges of animal cruelty and littering.
Source: WTNH
Update posted on May 19, 2012 - 10:08PM 

References

« CT State Animal Cruelty Map
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