Crime

Middleborough woman charged with 20 counts of animal cruelty

Police said Kimberly Savino, 43, allegedly kept more than 20 animals in "cruel" conditions.

November 7, 2024

1 minute to read

A woman in Middleborough has been charged with more than 20 counts of animal cruelty, police said in a statement on Thursday.

Police said Kimberly Ann Savino, 43, allegedly left her 17 dogs, two cats, one turtle, and one guinea pig alone in a house for days at a time and did not feed or take care of them. She turned herself in on Thursday, police said.

Savino allegedly kept 22 animals in unsafe conditions, police say

A statement of facts filed to the court said police arrived at Savino’s house on Oct. 18 after neighbors reported sounds of animals “crying, barking and clawing at kennels” from inside the house basement. In addition, police said there was already a search warrant for Savino, due to an investigation into the welfare of several horses on her property.

When police arrived, they said, they found the 22 animals in allegedly unsafe and unsanitary conditions.

Court documents said Middleborough police, along with Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Law Enforcement, found a “tiny” Tupperware container holding a spotted turtle and a cage holding a guinea pig on the kitchen floor. The statement said the turtle’s water was “dirty.”

In the basement, police said they found the 17 dogs and two cats in kennel cages. Police said one dog was unresponsive and first respoders “immediately” removed the dog from the house to receive medical care.

“The crates were lined with newspaper covered in feces and urine,” the document said. “The crates contained no food or water.”

The document said most of the animals appeared emaciated. Police said an investigation found that Savino only checked on the animals once a week and that no one lived at the house permanently.

Savino surrendered the animals on Thursday, police said. Nine of the dogs are in the care of the Middleborough Animal Shelter, while eight are with the MSPCA. It was unclear as of Thursday night if Savino had legal representation.