HADDAM, Conn. — A second Haddam woman tied to a dog-boarding business was arrested Monday after one dog died and four others were recovered in poor condition, according to Connecticut State Police.
Josephine Ragland, 28, of Haddam, is facing a charge of cruelty to animals on four counts. She was released on a $50,000 bond and is expected to appear at Middletown Superior Court on Sept. 30.
According to state police, Ragland is facing similar charges in California and moved to Connecticut during an investigation by the Palo Alto, Calif. Police Department. She is also facing larceny charges in Massachusetts related to the incident.
Ragland's arrest follows the arrest of Jacqueline Witt, 64, of Haddam, who is facing four charges of animal cruelty to animals and one count of tampering with evidence.
The two were allegedly associated with 'Wagging Good', which had a listing on the Thumbtack website for "training and boarding dogs." State police said that they took in a French bulldog via Thumbtack in addition to four other dogs that were brought under their care.
According to an arrest warrant, Ragland contacted each of the dogs' owners under the alias "Lily," charging them $1,000-$2,500 before picking the dogs up and dropping them off at Witt's home where they were left in crates.
The warrant alleged that the bulldog died on Sept. 4, 2023, under the care of both Ragland and Witt, and under Witt's supervision, state police said. Ragland allegedly failed to notify the owners about the dog's death and instead continued sending phony updates about its training progress.
Witt also allegedly fabricated evidence by "digging a hole in the brush behind her property" where she told investigators the dog was buried before it was supposedly "unearthed and taken away by animals."
Ragland and Witt put the bulldog's body in a trash bag and left it inside a room next to the other dogs, before Witt disposed of the body off the Canterbury Turnpike roadway, state police said.
The owner of the bulldog, from Massachusetts, eventually contacted the North Reading Police Department and told them that the dog was not returned by Sept. 15, 2023, which was the date that was agreed on, state police said.
Ragland and Witt allegedly told investigators multiple stories about what happened to the bulldog and its location.
After an animal control officer recovered the dog off the roadway a necropsy showed there was probable cause to believe it was not fed and may have had a heat stroke, the warrant said.
The four other dogs at the home, which were under the care of Ragland and Witt, were returned to their owners, state police said. All reportedly had "psychological and/or physical illnesses."
Sean Humphrey is a digital content producer at FOX61 News. He can be reached at shumphrey@fox61.com.
RELATED: Haddam woman tied to dog-boarding business arrested in animal cruelty investigation: State police
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