NA Couple Faces Animal Cruelty Charges After Dog Found Dead
A North Adams couple is accused of neglecting their dog long enough for it to die of malnutrition.
The Berkshire Eagle reports Trista Williams and Jesse Leydet of Phelps Avenue were arraigned on animal cruelty charges in Northern Berkshire District Court on Wednesday.
Williams' mother, reported to police Jan. 25 that the couple's dog, Tig, was deceased. Fletcher told police that Williams entered addiction treatment Jan. 23.
The house did not have heat and was in "disarray," according to police. A pile of trash was stacked approximately 6 feet high in a mud room near the kitchen.
City officials were called to the scene and condemned the residence.
Williams, 24, pleaded not guilty to single counts of cruelty to an animal, a dog rabies vaccination violation, and a miscellaneous municipal bylaw violation.
Leydet, 30, pleaded not guilty to a single count of cruelty to an animal. Both were released on personal recognizance.