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KRYSTA SWEETLAND and ROBERT DEBECK arrested and thirteen animals removed from a Belfast property

- Maine, USA -


Following an animal cruelty investigation, the Belfast Police Department arrested 24-years-old KRYSTA SWEETLAND and 24-years-old ROBERT DEBECK (both pictured), both of Belfast.


Police launched an investigation on October 13, 2023, after receiving a complaint about the welfare of animals at a property on 37 Achorn Road.

At the residence, officers found several cats and dogs. Police said the Voiceless Victims were showing signs of abuse and malnutrition. Some of them were found to be in critical condition. One of the female dogs had five puppies. Sadly, one of them was dead when the police arrived.


Belfast Police Chief Robert Cormier told NEWS CENTER Maine that officers also found three adult cats in a container meant for one cat.


Officers removed thirteen furvictims from the property and took them to veterinary clinics.


On Friday, October 20, 2023, police arrested SWEETLAND, and the following day they arrested DEBECK. Bond was set at $2,500 each. Both are facing thirteen counts of animal cruelty and are set to be arraigned on December 1, 2023, at Waldo County Superior Court, at 8:30 a.m.


Chief Cormier said that SWEETLAND and DEBECK said they were taking care of the animals and denied any wrongdoing.


Chief Cormier described the living conditions of the furvictims as “deplorable” and explained that investigators are seeking to elevate the standard Class D charge to a Class C charge.


All the Voiceless Victims are being cared for by veterinarians and when they fully recover, PAWS in Camden will handle their adoptions.


Police said that the investigation is ongoing. Anyone who has information about this case is asked to call (207) - 338 - 2040. Thank you!


The name of the deceased furbaby was not disclosed, so I took the liberty of naming him/her Tulip for the tribute image. Should his/her given name be made public, I will rectify it accordingly.


Voice For Us Disclaimer: This story is sourced from official news outlets. Link included.

Details may be removed or additional information may be provided in future should such sources report an update.






 
 
 

MATTHEW B. GUZMAN accused of abandoning a dog in the house he moved out from

- Maine, USA -


~ Update: November 17, 2022


I have emailed the Caribou Police Department to request the dog’s age, breed, and name.

In an email, Police told me that the furbaby’s name is Hash and he is a mixed Pitbull. His age is unknown.



~ Original story:


The Caribou Police Department announced that the individual who left abandoned a dog locked inside the home he moved out from has been identified.


Police said that 31-years-old MATTHEW B. GUZMAN turned himself in on the evening of November 14, 2022.


According to Bangor Daily News, the dog was found locked inside a closet on November 9, 2022, by the new owners of the home in question, on Belanger Road. After police were alerted to the situation, the furbaby was placed in the care of the Central Aroostook Humane Society in Presque.

Police said the dog had been left in the vacant home for quite some time.


Coral Adams, main kennel technician at the Central Aroostook Humane Society, told Bangor Daily News: “He is underweight but not severely emaciated. He did go without food, but he wasn’t there long enough for it to cause any type of permanent damage.”


GUZMAN is charged with animal cruelty, a misdemeanor that carries up to only 364 days in jail, a court-imposed ban on possessing any animals in the future, and a fine not less than $500.


Voice For Us Disclaimer: 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.



Mugshot provided to Voice For Us by the Caribou Police Department.





 
 
 

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