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DONALD C. HEENAN accused of drowning a nursing cat alive

- Massachusetts, USA -

 

On August 16, 2024, 67-year-old DONALD C. HEENAN (pictured), was arraigned in Westfield District Court for drowning a nursing cat.

 

HEENAN was formally charged with one felony count of death of an animal by drowning and one felony count of animal cruelty.

 

On July 30, 2024, Westfield Animal Control Officer Margaret Terkelsen received an email from HEENAN advising her that he had a cat in a humane trap he had been using to capture stray and feral cats. HEENAN wanted Officer Terkelsen to go to his home, on 23 George Street, to pick up the trapped cat. He wrote: “Please come pick it up, it’s in the backyard. If you don’t want it, I’ll dispatch it.”

 

According to Officer Terkelsen’s report, she immediately called HEENAN and a man answered the phone, but after she identified herself, the person hung up.

 

Officer Terkelsen then reached out to the Westfield Police Department for assistance and an officer accompanied her to HEENAN’s home.

 

Upon arrival, officers asked HEENAN where the cat was and he answered that Officer Terkelsen took too long to respond, so he drowned the cat. When Officer Terkelsen asked him whether the cat was dead, he said yes.

 

At that point, the officers asked HEENAN where the dead cat was and HEENAN answered that he dumps deceased animals on a property on Pochassic Road.

 

The officers and HEENAN drove to the location but HEENAN didn’t seem to remember where he had disposed of the furvictim.

 

Eventually, the police officer spotted the cat a few feet from where they had parked.

 

Officer Terkelsen described the Voiceless Victim as a gray female domestic shorthair who appeared to have been nursing kittens. She said the cat’s body showed signs of having been drowned.

 

The police officer asked HEENAN how he had drowned the cat so they returned to HEENAN’s home where the scum showed officers how he did it.

 

HEENAN showed the officers the humane trap the cat was in, and said that with the cat inside, he put the trap in a garbage bin filled with water. The officers then opened the garbage bin and according to Officer Terkelsen, it was filled nearly to the top with water, mixed with fur.

 

Officer Terkelsen asked HEENAN whether the cat was alive when he drowned her and he said yes. He added that he waited at least ten minutes for the cat to die.

 

HEENAN holds a license in Massachusetts as well as in Connecticut as a Problem Animal Control Agent, allowing him to euthanize “problem animals”. Because of this, the officers asked him whether drowning was his primary method of euthanizing the animals. HEENAN answered that since his permit to own a firearm had been revoked, he cannot shoot animals. He told the officers that if after ten minutes in the water the animals are still alive, he presses on their ribcage with his foot to prevent them from breathing. HEENAN went on to state that drowning was a humane way because “he’s not cruel.”

 

HEENAN was placed under arrest and charged with animal cruelty and drowning the cat.

 

At his arraignment on August 16, 2024, before District Court Judge Bethzaida Sanabria-Vega, HEENAN pleaded not guilty to the charges. Hampden County Assistant District Attorney Jamie Spinella requested HEENAN be held without bail pending the outcome of a dangerousness hearing, which the judge allowed. But then at the dangerousness hearing on August 28, 2024, judge Sanabria-Vega ruled HEENAN was to be released on personal recognizance. The judge set a few conditions, including surrendering the Problem Animal Control Agent licenses.

 

Since at the time of his arraignment HEENAN was on probation for two firearm-related charges stemming from 2021 incidents, because of this animal cruelty arrest, the firearm-related charges have now been refiled by the Hampden County District Attorney’s Office.

This means that if HEENAN is found guilty of the animal cruelty charges, he could be sentenced for up to only seven years in state prison, or not more than 2 ½ years in the house of correction and be fined for not more than $5,000. A JOKE!

 

According to the Criminal Docket, HEENAN is set to be back in court on October 30, 2024.

 

Authorities did not disclose the name of the deceased Voiceless Victim, so I took the liberty of naming her Emily after Emily Jane Brontë, an English novelist and poet who absolutely adored cats.

 

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Voice For Us Disclaimer: This story is sourced from Mass Live. Please note that details may be removed or new information added should updates become available.

In the case of charges being dropped, dismissed, or the case being purged, this article will be rectified accordingly, if official documentation is provided to Voice For Us.

 

 

HEENAN’s mugshot provided to Voice For Us by the Hampden County Sheriff's Office




 

 

 
 
 

BRIANNA AUSTIN, dog groomer, and her brother, NICHOLAS RILEY AUSTIN, facing animal cruelty charges

- Florida, USA -

 

The Citrus County Sheriff’s Office announced the arrest of 20-year-old BRIANNA AUSTIN and her brother 19-year-old NICHOLAS RILEY AUSTIN (both pictured).

 

According to the affidavit obtained by Voice For Us, a deputy was dispatched to a home on 3550 E Viaduct Lane in Hernando on the morning of August 30, 2024, to assist Animal Control Officer Capablanco regarding a door that was left open resulting in multiple dogs exiting the home and running loose.

 

Upon arrival, the deputy learned from ACO Capablanco that five dogs had gotten out of the home and had been picked up by an Animal Control volunteer who then took them to a local animal shelter.

 

In view of the fact that the front door was wide open, the deputy conducted a security check to attempt to identify the dogs’ guardian and make sure that no one was hurt inside the home.

 

As the deputy approached the home, he saw a large amount of feces as well as dried and wet urine all over the floor and furniture. The deputy reported that he found extremely difficult to walk as the floor did not have any spots that were “not covered in some kind of excrement.”

 

At one point, the deputy heard baking coming from a room which had the door closed. When the deputy opened the door, he found “a light-colored dog, of an unknown breed, which appeared to be malnourished and very frantic”, stated the affidavit. The deputy said that although the dog had food and water, the floor was completely covered with feces and so were the dog’s feet.

 

No one and no other animals were found at the home but the deputy said that it appeared that a child also lived there.

 

The deputy found a pay stub for BRIANNA AUSTIN which disclosed her current workplace so he called her for a further investigation. The affidavit shows that she is a groomer at Hands to Paws.

 

BRIANNA AUSTIN told the deputy that the dog who was in the bedroom was her brothers’ and the other five were hers. She also said that the living conditions of the dogs had been like that been like that for approximately two to three weeks.

 

The deputy reported that although the dogs had access to food and water, they “did not have access to use the restroom outside of the residence. This resulted in the defecation throughout the residence, which neither of them made any attempt to clean.”

 

It’s not explained in the affidavit who opened the front door of the home.

 

The animal shelter where the dogs were taken sent pictures showing that all of them had a “waxy feeling to their coat due to not being properly groomed”, stated the affidavit. The affidavit goes on to state that “The dogs also had fleas which didn't appear to have been treated. The dogs who had white in their coat, had stained yellow fur due to the urine.”

 

The siblings were arrested and charged with six counts of animal cruelty. Court records show they will be arraigned on October 17, 2024, at 9:15 a.m. before Judge Bruce E. Carney.

  

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Voice For Us Disclaimer: This story is sourced from the arrest affidavit obtained through a public search. Please note that details may be removed or new information added should updates become available.

In the case of charges being dropped, dismissed, or the case being purged, this article will be rectified accordingly, if official documentation is provided to Voice For Us.

 

 

Mugshots shared from the Citrus County Sheriff's Office





 
 
 

SAMANTHA LYN HEWARD and MELISSA DAWN HEWARD arrested – Animals found in inhumane living conditions

- Florida, USA -

 

The Citrus County Sheriff’s Office arrested 21-year-old SAMANTHA LYN HEWARD and her mother 42-year-old MELISSA DAWN HEWARD (both pictured).

 

In a press release, the sheriff's office said that on August 19, 2024, its Animal Control Unit removed several animals from a home on West Akazian Lane in Homosassa.

 

According to the sheriff’s office, “Animal Control has been aware of issues regarding loose dogs and allegations of neglect” at the aforementioned home, “with 38 calls for service.”

 

Officers have attempted to work with the mother to allow her time to get all the animals up to date on rabies vaccines and county licenses and provide medical care for some minor medical issues the dogs were experiencing.

 

Officers also repeatedly suggested she get rid of some of her dogs to make it easier to care for them.

 

In late February 2024, the mother was mandated to provide medical care for three dogs with skin issues and hair loss, and according to the sheriff’s office, she complied with that mandate.

 

Four months later, in June 2024, officers went back to the home for a follow-up visit. The officers reported that the conditions inside the residence had deteriorated slightly but did not warrant the removal of the animals. Once again, officers “encouraged” the mother to reduce the number of dogs in her care and she surrendered three puppies and five cats.

The woman did surrender the cats and the puppies and officers continued to monitor the well-being of the remaining animals and living conditions.

 

On several follow-up visits, however, officers did not find anybody home and therefore they couldn’t report back on the conditions of the Voiceless Victims.

 

On August 15, 2024, officers returned to the home following reports from neighbors who heard frequent dog fights. During that visit, the mother agreed to surrender two dogs, but admitted she had not complied with the mandate to get the remaining dogs the required rabies vaccinations.

The woman was advised to get veterinary care for the dogs who received minor injuries during the dog fights.

 

On August 19, 2024, when Animal Control Officers went back to the home, they were “permitted to access the residence for the first time since June 2024”, stated the release.

According to the sheriff's office, they “found that conditions inside the home were significantly worse than on any previous visit and immediately requested deputies to respond.”

 

Five cats and eleven dogs were removed after they were found to be living in “to inhumane and unhealthy living conditions.”  Several dogs and cats had minor medical issues and had not received proper care.

 

Deputies then learned that two minor children were also living in the home, so they alerted the Department of Children and Families (DCF) that responded to the scene and removed both juveniles.

 

Additionally, County Code Enforcement responded to the home being considered an unsafe structure.

 

On August 19, 2024, deputies arrested the mother and daughter and booked them into the Citrus County Jail.

The mother was charged with ten counts of animal cruelty associated with the eleven dogs living in the home.

The daughter, who “claimed ownership and care of the cats”, was charged with four counts of animal cruelty and one count of aggravated animal cruelty. 

 

All of the Voiceless Victims were surrendered to the county and are being medically evaluated and receiving the care they need and deserve.

 

Citrus County Sheriff Mike Prendergast said: “𝙏𝙝𝙚𝙨𝙚 𝙖𝙧𝙧𝙚𝙨𝙩𝙨 𝙨𝙚𝙧𝙫𝙚 𝙖𝙨 𝙖 𝙧𝙚𝙢𝙞𝙣𝙙𝙚𝙧 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙘𝙤𝙢𝙢𝙪𝙣𝙞𝙩𝙮 𝙬𝙞𝙡𝙡 𝙣𝙤𝙩 𝙩𝙤𝙡𝙚𝙧𝙖𝙩𝙚 𝙖𝙣𝙞𝙢𝙖𝙡 𝙘𝙧𝙪𝙚𝙡𝙩𝙮 𝙤𝙧 𝙣𝙚𝙜𝙡𝙚𝙘𝙩. 𝙒𝙚 𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙘𝙤𝙢𝙢𝙞𝙩𝙩𝙚𝙙 𝙩𝙤 𝙥𝙧𝙤𝙩𝙚𝙘𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙖𝙡𝙡 𝙡𝙞𝙫𝙚𝙨, 𝙞𝙣𝙘𝙡𝙪𝙙𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙩𝙝𝙤𝙨𝙚 𝙤𝙛 𝙖𝙣𝙞𝙢𝙖𝙡𝙨, 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙚𝙣𝙨𝙪𝙧𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙤𝙨𝙚 𝙬𝙝𝙤 𝙘𝙖𝙪𝙨𝙚 𝙝𝙖𝙧𝙢 𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙝𝙚𝙡𝙙 𝙖𝙘𝙘𝙤𝙪𝙣𝙩𝙖𝙗𝙡𝙚.”

 

On August 22, 2024, an update by the sheriff’s office advised that the mother is also facing two counts of child neglect, two counts of contributing to the delinquency of a minor, and violation of felony probation.

 

Those of you who are familiar with my stand on these kinds of situations, know that if it was up to me, I would just apply the “nip it in the bud” policy. I believe that all of the innocent souls should have been removed right away! They were failed by so many……

 

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Voice For Us Disclaimer: This story is sourced from the press release by the Citrus County Sheriff’s Office. Please note that details may be removed or new information added should updates become available.

In the case of charges being dropped, dismissed, or the case being purged, this article will be rectified accordingly, if official documentation is provided to Voice For Us.

 

 

Mugshots shared from the Citrus County Sheriff's Office




 
 
 

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