NEW BEDFORD, Mass. (WPRI) — A New Bedford woman convicted of animal cruelty charges will spend a year behind bars as her daughter faces 39 counts of her own, according to Bristol County District Attorney Thomas Quinn III.
Korina Ferreira, 46, was found guilty of two counts of animal cruelty connected to a 2020 investigation by New Bedford detectives.
Ferreira was sentenced to two and a half years in prison, with one to serve and the remainder suspended. Following her release, she will serve five years of probation and be prohibited from owning or working with animals.
The investigation began on Dec. 1, 2020, when New Bedford Animal Control received an anonymous call about the welfare of several pets in a Cedar Street apartment.
Quinn said animal control officers responded to the apartment, where Ferreira and her daughter, 26-year-old Alexis Santin, were living at the time.
The officers noted that the entire apartment smelled strongly of urine and there were flies flying through the rooms.
Quinn said the officers found an extremely dirty fish tank with eight goldfish inside, as well as three American bulldogs and 13 cats living in squalid conditions.
The dogs appeared to have access to food but no water, according to Quinn. When the officers asked why, Ferreira claimed one of them would throw up the water and that it was provided to them in intervals.
The officers asked to see the dogs, who Quinn said were locked in a bedroom. Ferreira refused to let them, in, however, because she said the dogs didn’t like men and would attack.
Quinn noted that none of the dogs threw up water or attempted to attack anyone while in the care of New Bedford Animal Control.
Ferreira also told the officers initially that she owned five cats, but explained that they were locked in another room because they were known to escape and attack. The officers later determined that Ferreira actually owned 13 cats who were all living in a small room covered in urine and feces, according to Quinn.
The dogs were extremely malnourished, Quinn said, and each of the cats needed to be treated for fleas. The dogs’ food bowls were surrounded by feces, and the cats’ litterbox was so full that they began using their beds, he added.
“These animals were living in deplorable conditions and as a result, suffered extreme neglect that included lack of adequate food, water and care,” Quinn said. “Many animals provide unconditional love and support to their owners, and to allow animals to live in these conditions is disgraceful.”
Quinn said Ferreira’s daughter wasn’t charged at first, but she was investigated last year after officers responded to the apartment again for reports of a woman being attacked by dogs.
Santin told the officers she was taking her dogs outside when one of their muzzles came off, according to Quinn. She claimed the dog went after the other one, who was still muzzled, and then began attacking her.
Officers searched the apartment and found piles of dog, cat and rabbit feces. In total, the officers removed three dogs — including the two involved in the attack — from the home, as well as a cat and several rabbits. Quinn said the dog who attacked Santin was later euthanized.
Everything came to a head on Monday, when Quinn said a veterinarian reported the potential abuse and neglect of a dog that was brought in for medical care.
Officers searched the Cedar Street apartment for a third time, which was covered in urine and feces, according to Quinn.
The officers discovered seven dogs, who were all emaciated or mutilated in some form, living in squalid conditions. Quinn said there was also a terrarium containing five geckos, some of which were dead, that had no source of heat, food or water.
In addition, the officers found a bird carcass in the apartment and two more dogs in Santin’s cluttered vehicle.
Quinn said he was “very disturbed” to learn of Santin’s arrest, which happened hours after her mother’s conviction.
“Neither of these women belong anywhere near any animals,” he said.
Santin was arrested and charged with 39 counts of animal cruelty. She was released on bail and ordered to surrender her animals, not to possess or care for additional animals, and to vacate the Cedar Street apartment. Quinn said she must also report to probation once a week and will be subjected to unannounced visits to ensure her compliance.
Her next court date is scheduled for March 27.
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