- Massachusetts, USA -
According to a press release by the Middlesex County District Attorney’s office, 33-year-old NICOLE HUTCHEON (pictured below), director of Senior Center, was arraigned by telephone in Lowell District Court on three counts of animal cruelty and one count of witness intimidation in connection with failing to care for multiple dogs in her custody and misleading investigators.
As per the press release, on April 5, 2020, an agency that fosters dogs in the Tewksbury area contacted Tewksbury Animal Control and requested a well-being check on a German shepherd who was in HUTCHEON’s care.
The reason for requesting the welfare check was because the agency had stopped receiving updates on the dog and became concerned.
Investigators later learned that not only the German shepherd had died while in HUTCHEON’s care, but she did not even report the dog’s death.
It also emerged that the furbaby died of starvation.
Inside HUTCHEON’s home, investigators found another German shepherd who appeared to be underweight.
The subsequent investigation further revealed that another German shepherd, that had been adopted by HUTCHEON had also died and that she had attempted to hide the remains of the dog.
Middlesex District Attorney Marian Ryan said that Judge Ellen Caulo released HUTCHEON on personal recognizance and ordered her to not adopt any new animals and to submit to unannounced visits from animal control regarding an emotional support dog still in her custody.
A petition has been created addressed to John Voto, Interim Chief of Police of Tewksbury, asking that the service dog left in HUTCHEON’s care is taken away.
This is an ongoing investigation being conducted by the Middlesex District Attorney’s Office and Tewksbury Police.
This story is sourced from official news outlets. Links included.
Details may be removed or additional information may be provided in future should such sources report an update.
