Plea deal possible for New Jersey woman charged with two counts of tormenting and torturing a living creature and two counts of abandonment.
Newark, NJ — 28 year old Kisha Curtis of Newark, New Jersey was charged with four counts of animal cruelty (two counts of tormenting and torturing a living creature and two counts of abandonment) in March of 2011 after a maintenance worker discovered Patrick, an emaciated Pit Bull in a garbage bag after bring thrown down the trash chute of a 22-story apartment building.
On July 9, 2012, Curtis appeared in court for the fifth time since Patrick was discovered, after missing her scheduled appearance on May 29. Curtis reported to her attorneys ‘she thought she didn’t have to appear in court’ on May 29 since she had received a waiver from her last court hearing because she was having a baby, and incorrectly believed the waiver still applied.
After Curtis was taken into police custody in 2011, Frank Saracino, public information officer for the New Jersey SPCA reported that she admitted to starving the animal but denied throwing him down the chute.
However, in her most recent court appearance she claimed the exact opposite: “ admitted to leaving the dog leashed in the hallway of her high-rise building but denies any involvement or charges that she starved, tortured, or harmed him.”
When Patrick was found, he had been starved for so long he was no longer able to walk and his skin had sunk into the cavity of his hip bones and spine. The animal control officer who responded to the call reported to The Star-Ledger “His eyelids were moving a little. But he was just lifeless — his body hung there when we picked him up.”
Patrick was then taken to Garden State Veterinary Specialists, where he weighed in at barely 19 pounds. “He’s the worst I’ve ever seen as far as starvation, skin and bones go,” said Katharine Palmer, an emergency critical care specialist at the animal hospital. The first couple days after he came in he wasn’t able to stand or bear weight he was so weak. Since then Patrick has made a remarkable recovery, and is temporarily staying in the home of Patricia Smillie-Scavelli, administrator of the Tinton Falls veterinary facility. Patrick is now more than 50 pounds and is”really comfortable with people. He’s not fearful like before,” Smillie-Scavelli reported.
Originally, Curtis rejected a former offer by the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office: up to 18 months in prison, a $5,000 fine, and 30 days community service. She is now applying for a pre-trial intervention which, if granted, would eventually wipe the criminal charge from her record; her next scheduled court appearance is July 31.
She needs to be punished to the maximum extend of the law! NO PLEA BARGAINS! She knew what she was doing was wrong. Judge, PLEASE DO NOT LET HER WALK WITH A SLAP ON THE WRIST!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
lets hope she does not treat her child with the same disregard
She WILL. Then you will see justice becaus she killed a human
She willingly and knowingly refused to treat this beautiful boy with any kindness or compassion–and she’s having a child?!? Hey, building maintenance, be on the lookout for more trash bags with living beings in it.
Don’t let her get away with this…….when will the justice system start punishing these people for their crimes against animals…….this really makes me mad she needs to be punished…
I feel nothing for this person who calls herself a woman, I would say throw the book at her, and if she did this to an innocent animal, what would she do to a baby, take the kid from her too. She needs to grow up and act like a human and treat people and animals with respect. She doesn’t deserve to be set free. Acting innocent to try and get out of charges, she needs to have to work with an animal shelter, and she needs to quit crying about what she said she didn’t do. Someone should starve her and put her down the garbage chute. What a wild ride that would be, but also put her in a bag, see how she likes it. I have no respect for anyone who would do this to an animal. The way the treat animals tells me that she treats humans the same way. Sounds like she thinks nothing of anyone other than herself.
this is horrible, please dont let her go unpunished, she deserves the same treament!!!!!!!!!
her child should be taken away at birth
Here’s a Plea Deal…Throw her fat Ass in Jail and Starve her !!!!!
Only plea deal that MIGHT be acceptable involves a hysterectomy and banning her from EVER owning another living animal.
She needs to be done the way patrick was!!! Just don’t bother helping her when she gets to thst point!!
As long as the fines and punishments are so insignificant, these monsters will continue to torture, torment and abandon animals. Legislation MUST be passed everywhere to make animal cruelty a felony and animal offender lists must be created!
Is there a case # or someone we can write to and express how important it is to get justice in this case. Meaning jail time for that horrible woman.
the authorities wont do anything about it- so why waste space posting it. these people are celebrities in our culture.
No celebrities in this story. I post to keep people informed and knowledgable about what is going on in the dog world both good and bad.
We hear stories of how animals bite or attack people…. this is why. Their owners are mistreating them and not being responsible. A pet should be a part of the family & treated that way. This woman doesn’t deserve any sympathy & should have the book thrown at her!
Screw this b*tch (sorry for my language ) but she needs to be in jail for a long long time and honestly her child should be taken away from her. If she can starve a dog and throw him in the garbage what will she do to her child?
And she’s having a baby? My god! She needs to serve maximum time for this, I mean look at what she is capable of! Glad to see how well Patrick is looking regardless of whatever happens to that hag of a so called “owner” he used to have.
This person should never have another animal. What if she treats her children like this? May be she should not be allowed children either! Judge, please make her pay, not with money, but with jail time and community time taking care of animals with supervision!!!
PEOPLE!!!!! Prosecutors and judges are ELECTED officials. there is no sense in screaming at the injustice of this if you keep electing these schmucks to office. Go tape pictures of this dog on the prosecutors door, to the doors to the court house, post this on street lamp poles etc. DO SOMETHING!!!! But most of all make sure the voters know that the very people they elected are not prosecuting to the fullest extent of the law. And now this biddy has a kid? If she could do this to a dog, she definitely is capable of doing this to a kid. The only difference is that she can get welfare for the kid so it may not be starved or qt least not so badly. PLEASE NJ, GET VOCAL ON THIS HORRIFIC EXAMPLE OF ABUSE AND NEGLECT AND TORTURING A POOR DEFENSELESS ANIMAL!!!!!!!!
Wtf??? She shouldn’t be having kids either. She must go to jail and the DA that is willing to work a deal is stupid has he seen the pictures of Patrick!!!! What the hell is this world coming to?
The justice system needs to get a friggin grip on reality here. If they let her walk they all only enabling her. Next they’ll be trying her for child abuse, neglect or even worse. When will they toughen these laws on animal cruelty. Who can we address about this case to make sure this lunatic doesn’t walk? I hope her neighbours keep an eye and ear out for the safety of that child and report for everything they way witness or hear. She doesn’t deserve to have a child or another animal ever!
Someone needs to starve her & throw her down a laundry chute! I feel sorry for her baby, cause if she could treat an innocent dog that way who’s to stay she would treat her child any better! This lady needs to be punished to the furthest extent of the law & she should not be allowed to own another animal for the rest of her life!!
No way should she get a plea deal. She needs to be punished to the fullest extent of the law, she has to have serious jail timel! She needs to spend a significant amount of time locked away in a cell that has a big blow up picture of that poor starved dog where she has to look at it 24/7. She is a psychopath, I hope she doesn’t have any children in her care.
She shouldnt even be given her rights .. the proof is in the eatting. and if she has violated this ? Fine is not enough..Its people like this that show their true feelings and respect and heart.. for any thing. You can tell the difference from the old generation and now the new.Old generation lived and gave respect. New generation could care less abt human live and values
So lock the women up for what she has done. And let her think abt it behinds bars
Wow! I just want to say how beautiful Patrick is. Everybody who pitched in to save his life did a wonderful job!!
Now as for this woman getting a plea deal…absolutely not!!! She committed the crime and needs to face the full consequences. This situation needs to be just one of the examples of what happens to people who are cruel and heartless to the fur babies that God has given us to love.
A plea deal really, and she has had a baby this is not a good thing.The child will be in custody soon.
I’M SORRY,BUT I HAVE TO SAY THIS. SHE BETTER HAVE SOME PUNISHMENT FOR THE SUFFERING PATRICK WENT THROUGH!! AND IF SHE COULD DO THIS TO A DEFENSELESS DOG, HOW WILL SHE TREAT A BABY!?!? THEIR EVEN HARDER TO TAKE CARE OF THEN A LITTLE DOG!! I HOPE SOMEONE IS WATCHING HER!!?? SHE SHOULD NEVER EVER OWN ANOTHER PET EITHER!!
I FORGOT I’M SO VERY HAPPY THAT PATRICK WAS FOUND AND MADE IT THROUGH ALL OF HIS SUFFERING TO BE A HAPPY, LOVEABLE DOG!! 🙂 🙂
she had a baby, if she could do this to a poor helpless dog what could she do to her baby, throw her in jail, she truly needs to pay for her sins hopefully she is being monitored by children and family services, she desserves no less than she gave out to patrick
That bit__ didn’t show this dog any mercy, why should she get any? She needs to pay for this crime and pay big. Do us all a favor and don’t even think of having another pet or child. Have to wonder how she treat her baby
Don’t ‘throw the book at her’. That’s not good enough. I’d rather someone beat her to death WITH a book.
After watching enough episodes of animal cops and seeing her name we are all thinking it…. right? You know what i’m talking about…..
This woman must be punished as it is not acceptable to treat any living creature this way if she did not want the dog she should have taken him to a centre this lady is an absolute disgrace to the human race. This lady must also be banned from having any animals in the future. Maybe she will need to be assessed to ensure that she is actually fit to become a mother. I hope that she does not get away with how she treated poor Patrick.
Plea Deal? What’s to discuss? Patrick was her dog, she neglected, abandonded, tortured and starved her dog……what else is there to say? Shelters are available yet this lazy no good woman would rather do this and make babies. Wow…..wonder how those kids will be cared for. This judge needs to throw everything at her, how else will people learn unless the punishment is as severe as the act? She needs to go to jail. Jails’ cost taxpayers money, how about we just tie her to a rail without food or drink. I bet she would learn very quickly!!!!!
She did not give Patrick anything but a death sentence I know that is not
possible to do to a person, but she is getting off DAMN easy, make her pay the vet bills and work at that clinic and see what it is like. Public Service ,might open her eyes
Stupid B****h I would LOVE to be on her jury! How could she look into the eyes of an innocent animal and deny basic needs for it?? Then to throw him away? Sounds like a sociopath–no concience…or regard for another life..Hope her poor baby is not next…
This woman deserves no bargaining, she needs to pay just as she made Patrick pay…throw her in a pen without food or water or shelter and make her suffer, too! Too bad it’s not that easy. Do the crime do the time, lady!
I hate people. This is why.
life without parole.