Brucelis
MIDDLETOWN – A Middletown woman was convicted by a Middletown City court jury of animal cruelty and of a city code violation for failure to license a dog in connection with her neglect of a two-year-old pit bull.
When sentenced in April, Joselina Brucelis, 33, faces up to one year in the Orange County Jail as well as being required to register with the county animal abuser registry.
In September 2014, Brucelis took a two-year-old pit bull named Shadow into her Middletown home. There she deprived the animal of food, water, veterinary care, and shelter adequate to maintain the dog’s health and comfort. Brucelis had Shadow tied to a pole in her basement with a choke collar that was too small. The collar became embedded in the dog’s neck, causing a significant laceration around his neck and severe swelling to his head, face and neck.
The dog also had no water to drink and only cornflakes to eat.
Brucelis failed to seek veterinary care for the animal, despite his obvious need for medical attention.
In October 2014, a roommate of Brucelis called Middletown Animal Control to report that Shadow was in distress.
“When we share our lives with animals, we owe those animals a special duty of care, since they can’t care for themselves under our roofs,” said District Attorney David Hoovler. “We take on the responsibility to feed them water them, and ensure that they get adequate veterinary care.”
