Boston Woman Facing Animal Cruelty Charges In Starvation Death Of Dog

BOSTON — A Boston woman who is being charged with animal cruelty in connection to the death of her dog was released Monday and ordered not to own or work with animals after her arraignment last week, the Suffolk County District Attorney's Office said.

Natividad Pizzaro, 37, of Boston, was released on personal recognizance and was arraigned last week in the Roxbury Division of Boston Municipal Court.

On Feb. 2, a veterinarian at the Angell Animal Medical Center in Boston alerted the Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals after Pizzaro brought in her dead six-year-old female pitbull.

According to the veterinarian, the pitbull - whose name was Beauty, was brought in covered in mud and feces, with ulcerations between her toes, had suffered from frostbite over the winter, and was determined to be only a bit more than half her estimated healthy body weight.

A further report determined there were also lesions on the dog's paw pads, tail, and ear tip skin.

MSPCA launched an investigation, and Pizzaro was summonsed to court.

"We have laws that protect people and laws that protect animals," Suffolk County District Attorney Kevin Hayden said. "Just as caring for children or elders comes with responsibilities, so does caring for pets. When people can't, or won't, meet the responsibilities of pet ownership we get heartbreaking outcomes like this."

Pizzaro is due back in court on Aug. 18 for a pretrial hearing.