Kisha Curtis, 27, was arraigned on charges that she tied the dog to a balcony railing and left the state for more than a week. Her mother, Tamie Curtis, said her daughter had left the dog tied up hoping that someone else would adopt it when she moved out of the building in mid-March. "Somebody gave that dog to Kisha," her mother said, "and she couldn't take care of it."
Assistant Prosecutor Cheryl Cucinello said she was concerned because the violation is a fourth-degree crime, and someone convicted on these charges could "walk away with a slap on the wrist." She urged legislators to enforce stiffer penalties and almost guaranteed jail time on similar abuse cases.
Meanwhile, the NSSPCA, which first filed charges, is still trying to determine if someone else put Patrick in a bag and threw him down the garbage chute. They are asking anyone with information to call the tip line at 800-582-5979.
