CHESHIRE, Conn. — Cheshire residents and animal advocates held a rally before a council meeting Tuesday to bring awareness to alleged animal abuse and neglect at the town's animal shelter.
The town's animal shelter held more than 30 dogs after seizing them following a criminal incident in 2022.
After a "complicated legal case" involving the seizure of the dogs, 23 were adopted into new homes and seven were returned to the defendant in the case per the terms of a settlement agreement, police said Monday.
People in Cheshire said the town and shelter have not been transparent about what happened to the animals while in the shelter's care, noting that the conditions of the dogs had deteriorated over time. At least one had been allegedly euthanized under the care of Cheshire Animal Control Officer April Leiler.
“It’s not okay to seize dogs from someone they charged with animal cruelty and neglect and then neglect those same dogs again,” Jeen Melendez, an animal advocate said.
Jeffrey Donofrio, Cheshire's town attorney, couldn't comment on the matter since it's still under investigation.
One woman claimed she saw the alleged negligence at the shelter and was appalled.
“Upon entering the facility, they were confined to filthy cages soaked with urine and feces that I witnessed with my own eyes,” Ava Reyes said. “Day after day, no one cleaned kennels, animals were left with no water bowls forcing them to become dehydrated.”
Reyes said she wants to see something changed for the animals, starting with the people who work with them.
“Diving deeper into the people that they have with these titles and making sure they are actively doing their jobs," Reyes said.
Kaye Paddyfote is a reporter at FOX61 News. She can be reached at kpaddyfote@fox61.com. Follow her on X and Instagram.
RELATED:
---
Do you have a story idea or something on your mind you want to share? We want to hear from you! Email us at newstips@fox61.com.
HERE ARE MORE WAYS TO GET FOX61 NEWS
Download the FOX61 News APP
iTunes: Click here to download
Google Play: Click here to download
Stream Live on ROKU: Add the channel from the ROKU store or by searching FOX61.
Stream Live on FIRE TV: Search ‘FOX61’ and click ‘Get’ to download.