Horse Farm Owner Charged With Animal Cruelty
Animal control officer seized horses and other animals from a North Haven farm. This week, they arrested four people in connection with the case.
When animal control officers visited Rambling River Ranch in December, they took away 16 horses, three mules, cats, dogs and other animals. Some were malnourished, police said.
Smaller animals, including birds, dogs, rabbits, ferrets and a cat were captured in a converted shed.
On Tuesday, North Haven police arrested Gina-Lee Rapuano, owner of Rambling River Ranch, and Paul Novicki, of Hamden.
Last month, Rapuano was visibly shaken as her animals were bring hauled away.
"How could they still be alive at 32 if I wasn't taking care of them. What do you do put them down for these people to make it better?" she said.
State Animal Control and North Haven Police went to the farm after getting complaints from neighbors about the animals at the Rambling River Ranch. And after a quick look around, those complaints were confirmed, the said.
"Horses in bad condition, ribs showing, sores on the horses, bad hooves, small animals on the property that weren’t being care for property," Ray Connors, a supervisor at State Animal Control, said last month.
All of them were underfed, say officials.
Rapuano denied that when officials showed up last month. She said the Humane Society had visited the week before and there was no problem.
She said she just gotten out of the hospital after being hit by one of her horses and the stalls weren’t done.
The court also issued arrest warrants for Crystal Kelly, of Wallingford, for two counts of cruelty to animals and Tom Jermaine, of East Haven, for one count of cruelty to animals. Both are expected to turn themselves in, Department of Agriculture officials said.
This is an ongoing criminal investigation being conducted by State Animal Control Officers.
“These are serious charges as shown by the court setting bond so high,” said Department of Agriculture Commissioner F. Philip Prelli. “The Department has had numerous dealings with Novicki including convictions on Animal Cruelty charges in 2003, another animal seizure in 2007 where he voluntarily turned over ownership of his animals and now. Hamden police also have had numerous dealings with Mr. Novicki.”
Copyright Associated Press / NBC Connecticut
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