A New Hampshire woman has been charged with shoving her golden retriever off a dock and standing by while the pet drowned, police say.
Nancy Bucciarelli, 66, was arrested June 14 on a misdemeanor offense of cruelty to an animal.
Bailey, an 11-year-old golden retriever, was pushed off a dock to drown in three-and-a-half feet of water, according to Merrimack Police Captain Matthew Tarleton, reported the New Hampshire Union Leader.
The town’s animal control officers later confirmed that Bucciarelli pushed the dog into the lake and made no effort to help the dog when it was clearly drowning. Other witnesses told the police that the dog appeared old and had difficulty breathing before being pushed into water, according to Tarleton.
“The witnesses described the dog as appearing old and easily winded while walking around prior to the drowning,” Tarleton said. “Witnesses further advised that when they could see the dog struggling, they tried to render aid; however, it was too late.”
Although the incident is “disturbing,” said Merrimack Police Chief Denise Roy, she asked the community to “use restraint when commenting on social media” in order to allow the justice system to work without being influenced by comments that are “cruel in nature.”
Merrimack police: Woman pushed dog into lake, let it drown https://t.co/ka6IlJNvhN pic.twitter.com/xaktfIQyGC
— WMUR TV (@WMUR9) June 15, 2019
Bucciarelli turned herself in and was arrested on Friday. She was released on personal recognizance and was set to appear in Merrimack Circuit Court on June 27, according to the New Hampshire Union Leader.
Florida Woman to Be Charged for Dumping 10 Cats, Dog at the Roadside
A woman suspected of dumping her pets on the side of the road in Ruskin, Florida, was found last week.
Critter Adoption and Rescue Effort, or C.A.R.E. Animal Shelter, told ABC Action News that the woman tried to surrender 10 cats and an elderly dog in the morning of June 4 along 27th Street. The shelter told the woman they couldn’t accept the pets because the shelter was full.
The woman was then caught on camera dumping all 11 of the pets on the side of the road. Authorities say they found the woman but did not release her identity.
UPDATE: pet owner has been found. I’m told Hillsborough County will file animal abandonment (misdemeanor) charges for each pet. @abcactionnews https://t.co/dwhErMaXXU
— Ryan Smith (@RyanReports) June 6, 2019
ABC Action News was told Hillsborough County plans to charge the woman with 11 counts of animal abandonment, which is a misdemeanor charge.
“She didn’t know what to do and didn’t think it was illegal to abandon the animals,” said investigator Roger Mills. “There’s always options. There’s hundreds of rescues out there. If you go online, people will come to you.”
Animal investigators told ABC Action News that most of the animals left on the side of the road have been found and will be up for adoption at a pet resource center. Investigators say they are still looking for “a couple of cats and the elderly dog.”
UPDATE: pet owner has been found. I’m told Hillsborough County will file animal abandonment (misdemeanor) charges for each pet. @abcactionnews https://t.co/dwhErMaXXU
— Ryan Smith (@RyanReports) June 6, 2019
Most of the cats are now being cared for the Hillsborough County’s Pet Resource Center. Even though they are over capacity, the facility will never turn away an animal being surrendered.
CNN Wire contributed to this report.
