A Meriden woman was arrested and charged with animal cruelty Tuesday after her 2-year-old pug died of apparant neglect in January, police say.
Police said they received a call on Jan. 30 from a couple who had been looking at a South Broad Street apartment when they saw a dog nearby in "noticably bad shape."
"It was visibly underweight and shaking, with open sores all over its body," Police Spokesman Darrin McKay said of the dog, a 2-year-old pug.
Meriden Animal Control officers visited the dog's home that evening and talked to its owner, Amanda E. Adams, 22, of 184 South Broad Street. Adams reportedly told officers that she didn't have the money for a veterinarian, and that no one would treat the dog.
The officer set up an 8 a.m. appointment for the next morning at the Meriden Animal Hospital, and Adams agreed to go, McKay said. But Animal Control received a call the next day that the dog had died in the night.
The dog's body was taken by police to the Meriden Animal Hospital and then state labs to investigate the death.
"They determined that there was a whole host of problems with the dog. It was a case of severe neglect," McKay said. "It obviously was suffering before he died."
Adams was arrested on Tuesday, March 20, and charged with Animal Cruelty. She had a $7,500 bond and a court date of March 29.
Asked what pet owners can do when they can't financially take care of their animals, McKay said that owners are urged to call Meriden Animal Control or the .
"By all means, we would encourage people to reach out to Animal Control officers, the Humane Society," McKay said. "We're not going to sit back and let an animal die because they can't afford it."
