Woman accused of abusing dogs as part of a training service

By Rob Polansky and Dylan Fearon

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    NORTH READING, Massachusetts (WFSB) — A Connecticut woman was busted for running a dog training service that led to the death of a Massachusetts family’s dog.

Detectives from the North Reading, MA Police Department said they charged 27-year-old Josephine Marie Ragland of Haddam, CT as part of the case.

Detectives said they were made aware of Ragland’s activities when they looked into a case on Sept. 16.

A resident in North Reading said Ragland, who went by the name of Lily, was hired online to train his French bulldog, Charlie. The report said the victim agreed through the app Thumbtack to a two-week period of training time.

Ragland and the Hanson family had a deal of $1,500 to train Charlie for two weeks. He was supposed to be returned September 16.

But police claim: “the dog died on or around September fourth and that Ragland sent the owner photos of what was purported to be training after that date.”

Police started investigating.

Ragland admitted Charlie died but claimed he was hit by a car, and that Charlie was buried in the back of their Haddam home.

Police believe that is all a lie. They found Charlie’s body in Norwich, more than 35 minutes from Ragland’s house.

Detectives said they determined that the victim’s dog died on Sept. 5.

UConn performed a necropsy on Charlie.

The report said: “no evidence of external trauma was found….” and “the stomach and small intestines were empty. The colon contained small amounts of formed feces.”

Dog owner Juliana Pisanzio is appalled.

“It’s just so cruel and crazy I just don’t understand how people could do sleep at night,” said Pisanzio, of Deep River.

State troopers recovered four other dogs from the house that belonged to clients. Police were worried they wouldn’t be properly cared for either, claiming Ragland is an illegitimate dog trainer.

The dog owners all said their dogs had lost a significant amount of weight while in Ragland’s care.

Ragland was charged with larceny of over $1,200 dollars and obstruction or misleading police. Both charges are felonies.

“For someone to even do that is mind blowing to me because who would do that to animals,” Pisanzio said.

Ragland has also been at the center of an investigation in California for the disappearance of a German Shepard she was supposed to be training.

Investigators said they learned that Ragland had been involved in several incidents in California where she advertised dog training services online through Thumbtack then failed to return her clients’ dogs or returned the dogs in a condition that indicated improper care or neglect.

Ragland will be in court next month in Massachusetts.

The investigation was conducted with help from authorities in California.

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