Published on: September 12, 2024, at 09:10h.
Last modified on: September 12, 2024, at 09:15h.
Officials in Connecticut have apprehended a 64-year-old woman in connection with the passing of poker player Bart Hanson’s pet dog.
Jacqueline Witt is accused of four minor offenses of animal cruelty and one severe charge of altering evidence after she disposed of the body of three-and-a-half-year-old French bulldog, Charlie, on the roadside in September 2023.
Witt is the mother of Josephine Ragland, 28, a “dog trainer” who the Hanson family entrusted with Charlie.
The family sought someone to teach their dog fundamental commands, and they discovered Ragland’s small private training business, Everything Animals, on Thumbtack, the household services directory app.
Using the alias “Lilly,” Ragland picked up Charlie on September 1 for a two-week boarding program. Over the subsequent two weeks, she reassured the Hansons by sending a continuous stream of pictures and brief videos of their dog, who was likely already deceased.
Heatstroke
Investigators later determined that Charlie had perished just three to five days into his stay. The dog was confined in a crate without food or water. Charlie probably succumbed to heatstroke, according to authorities.
On the day she was meant to return Charlie, Ragland messaged Hanson stating that her car had broken down and the dog had somehow gotten away and been struck by another vehicle. She reported that she had laid Charlie to rest in her backyard.
Authorities discovered Charlie’s remains in Norwich, Conn., over 35 minutes from Ragland’s residence, where it had been discarded by Witt.
During police interrogations, Ragland eventually confessed that she had indulged in a gambling spree at a casino for several days after collecting the dog.
She is facing theft charges in Massachusetts, where the Hansons reside, and is set to stand trial in November. She also confronts theft allegations in California concerning another dog’s death in that state.
California Case
Scott, a seven-year-old German Shepherd, was enrolled in one of Ragland’s two-week training programs in December 2022.
Scott’s owner, Carolina Bruchilari, recounted that on the day Ragland was supposed to deliver her dog, she appeared with a completely different German Shepherd. The substitute animal was hostile and evidently did not recognize the Bruchilari family.
Eventually, Ragland alleged that Scott had leaped through a glass window during the night while under the supervision of another dog trainer and was “certainly deceased.”
Hanson, a renowned poker player and instructor with over $1 million in competition earnings, stated that Ragland’s business had top-notch ratings on Thumbtack, despite several dog owners falling victim to her training deception. He aims to bring awareness to the inconsistency so that others do not suffer the anguish of losing a pet.
Witt is scheduled to appear in court on September 19th.