Connecticut State Police arrested a man and woman on animal cruelty charges after investigators found several dead dogs and other dogs living in concerning conditions at a property in Marlborough, according to arrest warrants.
Troopers arrested Troy McDermott on 11 counts of animal cruelty in connection with the conditions at a property on Saner Road. His girlfriend, Crystal Bianco, was charged with one count of animal cruelty after troopers said they found her dog on the property and believe she knew about the conditions there.
Both are out on bond and are due in court Oct. 2.
The investigation began nearly a month ago as a health and safety inspection at the Marlborough property but quickly became an animal cruelty investigation, according to the warrants.
State police accompanied officials to the property because a trooper wrote in a warrant that it had “a history of violence, drug use and drug sales” with “several pit bulls known to bite”.
While there, troopers encountered McDermott and another man, who was arrested on an unrelated warrant. That man then told troopers about the dogs and showed investigators a location where he said another dog was buried on the property.
The man told investigators the dogs belonged to McDermott and claimed at least 12 had died from disease, according to the warrant.
Later that day, troopers returned to the property with an animal control officer and the man and found several dog corpses, according to the warrant.
One dead dog was found in the basement. The man told police the dog had been electrocuted after chewing on wires. Troopers said they found at least four more dead dogs underneath a carpet in an outbuilding.
Investigators also documented concerning living conditions for the surviving dogs. The warrant describes animal waste across the floor of one home, an ammonia odor detectable from outside, little food and water bowls containing dry sand.
Desmond’s Army, an animal advocacy group, reacted to the conditions described in the warrant.
“It’s horrific,” Zilla Cannamela, president of Desmond’s Army, said.
Troopers obtained a search warrant and returned to the property a couple of days later, seizing four adult pit bulls and three puppies. Investigators said the dead dogs they had previously seen were no longer on the property.
The other man told troopers that McDermott had called him to say he moved the dead dogs off the property.
Cannamela called that a red flag.
“You don’t remove evidence unless you know you’ve done something,” she said.
