Two Newton Residents Charged with Neglecting, Abandoning Dog

Two Newton residents face charges of cruelty to animals after neglecting a dog bought on Craigslist.

On July 24, police received a call about a loose pitbull on Middle Street and talked to the owner who said his daughter got the dog from Craigslist. The daughter said her parents were upset and would not let her or the dog into the house.

“It was very apparent they both neglected the dog, failing to provide the animal with proper food, drink, shelter and protection from the weather,” the police report reads.

The officer at the house spotted the dog, and it was wet and shivering from being in the rain. The dog was let in the house and fed.

Later, police received a call that the dog chased a cat outside and got loose. The dog’s blanket and food and water bowls were gone from the house and the dog could not be located.

On July 26, Newton Police were contacted by Watertown Police and said the dog from Middle Street was found tied up to a tree in the woods near Stop & Shop on Pleasant Street in Watertown, according to police.

Newton Police confirmed it was the same dog.

The dog had been tied up with the red leash seen at the home on Middle Street, and the investigating officer confirmed the same leash was used to tied the dog up to the tree.

A 54-year-old man and an 18-year-old woman, both from Newton, will be charged with cruelty to animals.