A Glen Head father and daughter were convicted of neglecting a handicapped pitbull-mix, leading to open and infected wounds, emaciation and other severe injuries, on Thursday, according to the Nassau County District Attorney’s office.
Christine Bagwell, 31, was convicted by a jury of torturing and injuring an animal and failing to provide proper sustenance.
Her father Gregory, 71, was convicted of the same charges in a bench trial before Judge Paul Meli. His trial lasted approximately one month.
The DA’s office said the jury deliberated less than a half-hour in the trial of Christine Bagwell.
District Attorney Madeline Singas said that in June 2018, the father and daughter took their five-year-old female pitbull-mix dog, Kacii, home from a veterinarian after she had broken her back following a car accident.
Staff at the veterinarian’s office had explained to the Bagwells that Kacii was now a special needs dog, which required around the clock care. The DA’s office said they agreed to follow instructions on how to properly care for her.
Five months later in November of 2018, an unidentified witness found Kacii dragging herself on the pavement outside of the Bagwells’ home. The witness then called the Nassau County Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, which responded to the call and found the dog with open bloody wounds.
A veterinary examination revealed Kacii was emaciated, suffering from infected sores, a urinary tract infection, fever, diarrhea, overgrown nails and had caked excrement all over her body. Following an investigation, the defendants were arrested by Nassau County Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals detectives on December 29, 2018.
“Instead of providing the care that Kacii needed, these defendants left her to suffer,” Singas said. “The successful prosecution of animal crimes goes beyond protecting our four-legged friends. Studies have shown a strong correlation between animal abuse and domestic violence, and my office remains committed to aggressively prosecuting these cases to better protect our community.”
The defendants are due back in court for sentencing on April 24.
Kacii recovered from her injuries in foster care and is now up for adoption. The DA’s office advises those interested in adopting her to call 516-THE-SPCA.
