The Woman Accused of Tossing Patrick the Pit Bull Down a Garbage Chute Pleads Guilty

Kisha Curtis still denies the act but admits to animal cruelty charges nonetheless.

Authorities believe that in 2011, a New Jersey woman wrapped her one-year-old Pit Bull in a plastic bag and threw him down a garbage chute into the trash compactor. He was alive. By the time rescuers found him, he was near death. In fact, it was astonishing that he was still breathing. The dog was a skeleton, his emaciated, corpse-like body shriveled and lifeless. The dog had moved just enough for a maintenance worker to notice the bag moving and save him.  

After that, Patrick, so named because he was rescued around St. Patrick's Day, pulled off one of the greatest recoveries we've ever seen, going from this: 

To this: 

We've written about the story a lot over the years: here, here, here, and here. Now, Patrick is finally getting some justice. The woman who was accused of throwing her dog down the chute, Kisha Curtis, pleaded guilty on Tuesday to fourth-degree animal cruelty, according to Essex County Prosecutor's Office. 

According to CBS News, Curtis was accused of tying the Pit Bull to the railing in her former Newark apartment building, then leaving the state for more than a week in 2011. Prosecutors said she was responsible for the dog's "torment and torture," by abandoning and starving the dog.  

Curtis has denied putting the dog in the trash chute, and she was set to go to trial on Wednesday. Instead, on Tuesday, she plead guilty to animal cruelty for tying up the dog and leaving him without food or water. She also gave up ownership of the dog. 

According to News 12 New Jersey, the surprise guilty plea was not part of the plea deal, and the prosecutors handling the case say they will seek the maximum penalty of 18 months in jail, though authorities say that she might not serve any time because she has no prior convictions. 

"Miss Curtis obviously committed an act, and now she's paying the consequences for it," Assistant Essex County Prosecutor David Feldman told News 12 New Jersey. 

State Superior Court Judge Joseph Cassini III is scheduled to sentence Curtis on Aug. 29 and also rule on the custody of Patrick. The dog is in a custody dispute with Associated Humane Societies and Garden State Veterinary Specialists, the groups who nursed Patrick back to health, along with the City of Newark, according to NJ.com. 

Currently, Patrick lives with Patricia Smillie-Scavelli, hospital administrator at Garden State Veterinary Specialists. 

Patrick's story has received intense public interest throughout the years, and we encourage you to follow the Patrick Miracle Facebook page for daily updates. We'll return to the story once the sentencing his handed down and Patrick's custody is determined. 

Via NJ.com, CBS News, and News 12 New Jersey; photos via the Patrick Miracle Facebook page unless otherwise noted

View the original article here

"Miracle Dog" Patrick the Pit Bull's Alleged Abuser Is Back in Court

The Newark, NJ woman whose alleged abuse of a Pit Bull named Patrick made this resilient dog into a national celebrity is in the news again.

Kisha Curtis, who pleaded not guilty last year to four charges of animal cruelty after her dog was discovered nearly dead of starvation at the foot of a 22-story trash chute, appeared in court last Wednesday after being threatened with arrest for having missed a court appearance the previous day. 

Kisha Curtis, smiling in court. Photograph courtesy of the New Jersey Star-Ledger.

Curtis is now applying for a pretrial intervention program. Its completion "would eventually wipe the criminal charge from her record. She has previously rejected the state's plea offer that calls for up to 18 months in prison, a $5,000 fine and 30 days' community service," reports the New Jersey Star-Ledger. 

This is sparking outrage, as has nearly every other aspect of a drama that began on March 16, 2011, when Patrick was found at the foot of the chute in shocking condition. Weighing only 19 pounds, the year-old dog could not walk or lift his head and had seemingly not eaten in months. 

The news went viral. As Patrick began his remarkable road to recovery, thousands of letters and gifts -- treats, toys, clothes, cash -- poured in from all over the world. As the new face for anti-animal-abuse activism, the plucky pittie inspired "The Patrick Movement," whose branches in many states hold rallies and other events.

Arrested just over a week after Patrick was found, Curtis was charged with with "torture and torment of a living creature," according to Fox News, which added that the 550-unit Garden Spires apartment building where Curtis lived is "notorious for drug trade and other crimes."

Curtis denied having thrown the dog down the chute, but admitted having abandoned and starved Patrick, leaving him tied to a railing at the Garden Spires. She pleaded not guilty to the charges in May 2011.

Patrick in November, looking healthy and happy.

As support for Patrick has soared, so has loathing for Curtis.

"Hopefully she's found in a dumpster, wrapped in a plastic bag, at the bottom of a trash chute where she belongs. This disgusting mutant needs to be put to sleep," reads a typical comment on a Star-Ledger article about the alleged abuser, who on a now-deleted Facebook page claims to be a Duke University student and former employee of a porn company. 

Protests have accompanied all of her court dates, as many feel the state legal system is being too easy on Curtis and is moving too slowly -- in hopes, some say, that the public will lose interest in this case. 

That hardly seems likely. Patrick's transformation from sad starveling to healthy hero has spawned not only good wishes, Twitter accounts, and Facebook pages but also money-seeking scams and a bitter custody battle. 

When Curtis appeared in court on January 20 to reject the plea offer, she was visibly pregnant. It's impossible not to ask: If Patrick is an example of how Curtis treats animals, how will she treat her own child?

Sources: New Jersey Star-Ledger, Fox News

View the original article here

It’s Patrick — Looking Like the Miracle He Is!

Patrick now - wow!

Remember this guy? Look familiar? We hope not! It’s Patrick, the Miracle Dog. He looks nothing like he used to in the days after he was found almost dead of starvation in the garbage dumpster of his New Jersey apartment building. He had been tossed down the garbage chute from 19 floors above, perhaps given up for dead. This is what he looked like in March after his rescue.

Patrick when he was first brought in for care; he received the best of care, and fought death for weeks

And then, after a few days of care, like this:

You’ve come a long way, sweet Patrick. Here’s to a great, long, happy life with your loving family at Garden State Veterinary Specialists. (I’m looking for an update on the case of his former owner, Kisha Curtis. A grand jury verdict is due any day now.) We’ll end with a happy Halloween shot to take the bad taste out of our mouths from these last photos.

:)

View the original article here

Starved Dog Patrick to Stay Put for Now

This just in: Patrick, the pit bull found nearly starved to death in a NJ trash bin, will not be forced to leave his animal hospital home and move to the Popcorn Park Zoo.

A New Jersey judge ruled today that Garden State Veterinary Services, where Patrick has been recovering since he was discovered in a dumpster in March, will not have to relinquish Patrick to the American Humane Societies (AHS) Popcorn Park Zoo. If you’re not familiar with the details of the case, you can check out Dogster’s article about the custody battle.

An attorney for the city of Newark said the AHS has tried to gain rights to the Patrick’s name and likeness so it can reap financial benefits, according to the Associated Press.

The animal hospital is likely the only loving home 1-yar-old Patrick has ever known. NewJerseyNewsroom.com reports some new info on what may have contributed to Patrick’s horrendous condition: Authorities say Kisha Curtis left Patrick tied to a railing in her Newark apartment building for more than a week before he was found in the building’s dumpster by a maintenance worker.

Curtis has been charged with two fourth-degree offenses for “tormenting and torturing” an animal. She also faces two charges of abandonment, punishable by up to six months in jail.

I will, of course, keep you posted on this dog who has won over hearts around the world.

View the original article here