New Bedford woman charged with 39 counts of animal cruelty

NEW BEDFORD, Mass. (WLNE) — A New Bedford woman was convicted of animal cruelty charges Monday, and her daughter, already facing animal cruelty charges, was re-arrested on new charges.

Korina Ferreira was convicted by a jury of two counts of animal cruelty connected to a 2020 investigation by New Bedford Police and Animal Control Officers.

She was sentenced to two-and-a-half years in the Bristol County House of Corrections with one year to serve and the balance suspended and was placed on probation for five years and was barred from working with animals.

New Bedford Animal Control Officers responded to a Cedar Street apartment in December, 2020 after receiving an anonymous call about the welfare of animals.

Officers entered the apartment and immediately smelled feline urine, noticed fly traps covered with flies and a fish tank with a green tint and dirt floating in the water.

The kitchen was noted to have dishes everywhere, along with three bowls of dog food but no water.

Officers were told the dogs only got water in internals due to one of the dogs throwing up the water.

Officers testified at trial that once the dogs were in custody none of them threw up water.

Officers asked to view the dogs but were told the dogs would attack if viewed.

Officers also testified at trial that the dogs never attempted to attack in custody.

They were told that the five cats in the apartment couldn’t be viewed because they would escape and attack.

A strong odor of cat feces and urine could be noticed from the room in which the cats were locked, and cats could be heard meowing.

Officers later discovered 13 cats in the small bedroom.

The three, three-year-old American Bulldogs were all found to be severely malnourished.

One dog had clear injuries to his face and body.

Pictures of the dog’s bowls at trial showed feces surrounding the bowls.

Each cat had to have flea treatment and several of the cast had injuries due to the amount of fleas.

The cats’ litter box was so full of feces that the cats used their bed as a litter box.

The defendant’s daughter already had an open 2023 animal cruelty case at the time of her mother’s trial.

This involved one of the defendant’s dogs attacking another dog and then the defendant.

The dog in the incident was later euthanized.

Another inspection of the Cedar Street apartment revealed a Doberman in the living room and a pitbull on a three-foot leash, tied to a dog crate.

Two more dogs were found in crates.

The food water bowls were empty and the dogs had some form of emaciation, mutilation and low weight.

Two additional dogs were found in the defendant’s vehicle, hiding among clutter with no source of food or water.

A bird carcass and gecko carcasses were also found in the home.

Santin is charged with 39 counts of animal cruelty and is next due in court on March 27.