A woman is facing charges after police say she punched her dog more than 30 times in West Haven.
It’s one of many animal abuse cases we’ve seen in our state recently, so what’s going on?
“You never think you would witness something like that,” Kara Walker, of West Haven, said.
Walker is still at a loss thinking about the dog she witnessed get hurt last Friday. She was working at Puffcity on Elm Street when she noticed arms flailing inside a parked car.
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Walker didn’t think much of it at first, until she realized someone was hitting her dog.
“It’s an innocent being, whether it be a person or an animal. They did not deserve that,” she said.
By the time Walker went outside to confront the driver, they drove off. Walker called animal control after that.
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West Haven police said they found and arrested 28-year-old Sherin Monachan of New York for cruelty to animals. Officers said she punched her dog 36 times.
“It was really difficult watching the footage back and then showing animal control,” Walker said.
And that’s not the only recent case of animal abuse. On Saturday, Meriden police say someone dumped a cat in a carrier near the town airport and by the time the animal was rescued, it was too late. It died from the cold.
One veterinarian said many cases of animal abuse and neglect can be traced to the pandemic adoption surge.
“We were all so isolated, and I think sometimes some of that adoption didn't come with the education of what's involved with caring for our pets in that manner,” Dr. Andrea Dennis of Bloomfield Animal Hospital said.
Another vet said in many cases, people don’t understand how pets behave or how much pet care costs.
“Just like in our day to day lives with inflation, rising cost of living comes the rising cost of veterinary care,” Dr. Jacqueline Pino of Guilford Veterinary Hospital said.
Both urge people to take adoption seriously or to relinquish their pets to shelters or rescues.
Walker, who owns cats herself, said pet owners need to understand their responsibilities.
“It’s cold. Bring them in. Give them food. They don’t need to be hit. They don’t know any better,” she said.
West Haven Animal Control said the dog is in their care and will stay there until this plays out in court.
As for Meriden, if you have any information on that case, give their animal control a call at (203) 235-4179.
