Two men were arrested and charged with animal cruelty after allegedly exposing three dogs to life-threatening cold for several hours on Friday night, according to the Bridgeport Police Department.
Bridgeport police responded to the 400 block of Union Avenue after an anonymous call about the dogs allegedly being left outside for several hours.
“Police found two of the dogs barking and tethered to separate dilapidated wooden shelters in the backyard. A third dog was located in the basement. There were frozen buckets of water and containers of spoiled food near the dogs. Police had to cut the restraints on the dogs to free them. Officers recorded the wind chill temperature outside to be minus-11 degrees Fahrenheit when they arrived,” Bridgeport police posted on Facebook.
Arctic air to plunge CT temps into single digits as Gov. Lamont declares a state of emergency
Benito Islesias, 72, and Rusty Rodriguez, 46, both of Bridgeport, were taken into custody at around 11:45 p.m. on Friday. Police said Rodriguez was also charged with interfering with an officer. Police said Rodriguez allegedly “disregarded comments by the police” and “attempted to hide one of the three dogs from the officers.”
Islesias and Rodriguez both posted bond and were released and are scheduled to appear in court on Jan. 30 for arraignment.
Police said two of the dogs were pitbulls and the third was a labrador/pitbull mix. The dogs are aged between and 10 years old and are under the care of the Bridgeport Police Department’s Animal Control Division. Authorities said the dogs are “doing well.”
The Bridgeport Police have previously responded to animal cruelty calls at the same Union Avenue address in 2018 and 2023.