A New Bedford mother and daughter are at the center of three separate animal abuse cases, all related to the same apartment, where prosecutors say investigators found animals living in feces, urine and flies. They say they found malnourished animals.
Lawsuit against Colina Ferreira
Corina Ferreira, 46, was found guilty Monday by a New Bedford District Court jury in a 2020 animal cruelty case.
According to the Bristol County District Attorney's Office, the investigation began in December 2020 when New Bedford Animal Control officers were asked to conduct a welfare check at an apartment on Cedar Street. Ferreira and her daughter Alexis Santin, 26, were also there.
When officers arrived at the apartment, they reported that it smelled like cat urine and they noticed flies buzzing around the room.
Investigators eventually discovered that three dogs, 13 cats and a goldfish lived in the apartment. Prosecutors said the conditions were unsanitary, with feces scattered all over the floor, including around the dog food bowl. When officers were on the scene, the cats were kept in a small bedroom that smelled strongly of urine and was filled with feces. According to the prosecutor's office, photos showed the cats overflowing the litter box and beginning to use the cat's bed instead.
Prosecutors said all three dogs were American bulldogs and were severely malnourished. The cats had fleas, and some suffered injuries from the fleas.
Ferreira was found guilty of two counts of animal cruelty and sentenced to 2 1/2 years in prison at the Bristol County House of Correction, with one year to be served and the remainder suspended. She was sentenced to five years' probation, and she is not allowed to own or work with animals.
“These animals lived in poor conditions and suffered extreme neglect as a result, including lack of proper food, water and care. Many animals lack unconditional love and support from their owners. “Allowing animals to live in these conditions is shameful,” District Attorney Thomas Quinn said in a statement.
Two lawsuits against Alexis Santin
On the same day that Ferreira was sentenced, Santin, who was already facing a 2023 animal cruelty case related to the same apartment, was arrested and charged with 39 crimes following further investigation. The latest incident concerns the condition of an animal found in a Cedar Street apartment following a report from a veterinarian who was concerned that the dog brought in for care might be neglected.
On Monday, investigators executed a search warrant and found seven dogs inside the apartment, all with “some form of debilitation, mutilation, or weight loss,” and several in crates filled with feces. I was trapped. Prosecutors said investigators also found two more dogs hidden in clutter inside Santin's car. Investigators also noted that they found five geckos (some dead) in a terrarium without heat, food or water, and a bird inside the apartment.
Santin was already out on bail for another case, following a fight between his dogs in 2023. Officers were called to an apartment on a report of a dog attack. Santin said one of her dogs attacked another dog when her muzzle came off, and when she tried to break it up, the dog attacked her. Santin told her investigators that she removed the muzzle of the other dog to protect herself when she was attacked.
Officers responding to the call reported similar circumstances to those described in the other two incidents. This time, they found a dog, rabbit, and cat living in an apartment surrounded by feces and other unsanitary and neglected conditions.
Prosecutors had requested that Santin's bail be revoked and that he be kept in custody for up to 90 days. In exchange, Santin must not own or care for any animals, must surrender all animals to animal control within two days, can no longer live in the Cedar Street apartment, and must be sheltered once a week. He was released on strict conditions, including having to report for observation and attending probation. We provide mental health evaluations and counseling, and may receive unannounced visits while on probation. She is next scheduled to appear in court on March 27.
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