Boston woman charged with animal cruelty in starvation, frostbite death of dog
BOSTON, June 13, 2022— A Boston woman was released on personal recognizance and ordered not to own or work with animals after being arraigned last week on an animal cruelty charge stemming from the February death of her dog, who suffered from frostbite and severe emaciation, Suffolk District Attorney Kevin Hayden announced.
Natividad Pizzaro, 37, was arraigned on June 8 in the Roxbury Division of Boston Municipal Court. Judge Kenneth Fiandaca ordered Pizzaro back to court August 18 for a pretrial hearing.
On February 2, a veterinarian at Angell Animal Medical Center in Boston alerted the law enforcement division of the Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals of a six-year-old female Pit Bull-type dog brought to the center, dead, by her owner. The owner requested cremation of the dog.
The dog, Beauty, had severe muscle wasting, was covered with mud and feces, had ulceration between her toes, and was matted with wet coat hair. A necropsy report further found that the dog presented at little more than half her estimated normal body weight.
The report concluded that “inadequate access to food (starvation) is likely” and that the “peripheral distribution of lesions (paw pad, tail, and ear tip skin), environmental conditions (death within days of severe winter weather), and emaciated body condition resulting in inadequate thermoregulation best support the clinical suspicion of frostbite.”
Pizzaro was charged after an MSPCA investigation and summonsed to court.
“We have laws that protect people and laws that protect animals. Just as caring for children or elders comes with responsibilities, so does caring for pets. When people can’t, or won’t, meet the responsibilities of pet ownership we get heartbreaking outcomes like this,” Hayden said.
James Borghesani, Chief of Communications
Suffolk County District Attorney Kevin Hayden’s office serves the communities of Boston, Chelsea, Revere, and Winthrop, Mass. The office handles over 20,000 cases a year. More than 160 attorneys in the office practice in nine district and municipal courts, Suffolk Superior Court, the Massachusetts Appeals Court, the Supreme Judicial Court, and the Boston Juvenile Courts. The office employs some 300 people and offers a wide range of services and programs to serve anyone who comes in contact with the criminal justice system. This office is committed to educating the public about the services we provide, our commitment to crime prevention, and our dedication to keeping the residents of Suffolk County safe.