Pawtucket woman accused of abusing dog indicted

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WLNE) — A Pawtucket woman accused of neglect after her dead dog was brought to the Ocean State Veterinary Specialists in March has been indicted, according to authorities.

Dawn Abbenante was indicted on one count of unnecessary cruelty to animals — death resulting — and one count of failure to provide a dog with adequate veterinary care.

Attorney General Peter Neronha said Wednesday that on March 14, the Ocean State Veterinary Specialists called the Rhode Island SPCA about a dead poodle named “Diamond” that was brought in for cremation.

Workers at the Ocean State Veterinary Specialists said Diamond was in an “extreme state of neglect” before her death. She suffered from large abdominal tumors, hair loss and matting, overgrown nails, and was covered in fecal matter.

Neronha said the person who brought the poodle in for cremation was contacted. She told police the dog belonged to her boyfriend’s mother, Abbenante.

The 57-year-old, said Neronha, reported that Diamond hadn’t received veterinary care in over two years. She was arrested eight days later.

Abbenante is due is Providence Superior Court in July.