Mass. man arraigned on animal cruelty charge in puppy starvation case
A Taunton man was arraigned Tuesday on charges in connection with an animal cruelty case that one shelter manager called "the worst case of starvation I've ever seen."
Devin Preeper, 27, was charged with one count of animal cruelty. Plymouth County prosecutors had requested Preeper be held on $25,000 cash bail, but he was released on personal recognizance and ordered not to own any domesticated animals.
On Nov. 24, West Bridgewater police stopped a car driven by Preeper and officers noticed a puppy in the backseat that looked extremely underweight. Police made Preeper bring the dog to an animal hospital and followed him to make sure he complied.
According to prosecutors, Preeper admitted to police that he had owned the dog for six to eight months and had been unable to properly care for it.
Sprout is recovering at the Animal Protection Center of Southeastern Massachusetts after being discovered by West Bridgewater police last week, starving and anemic.Courtesy of Animal Protection Center of Southeastern Massachusetts
The puppy was eventually taken to the Animal Protection Center of Southeastern Massachusetts, where she was deemed to be severely malnourished. A blood transfusion "saved her life," according to shelter workers.
Katie Anderson, shelter manager at the APCSM, told MassLive that the puppy was less than 48 hours from death before being rescued.
"This was definitely the worst case of starvation I've ever seen," Anderson said. "It's so sad to even look at her. None of this makes sense."
The shelter renamed the puppy Sprout and has been caring for her for the past month. Sprout, a pug mix, is estimated to be about a year old. At full health, she should weigh between 15 to 25 pounds; she weighed 6 pounds when police found her.
Preeper's next court date is set for Feb. 17.
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