Abused Newark pit bull, Patrick, receives support from around the world

Saturday, 02 April 2011 07:29

BY BOB HOLT

NEWJERSEYNEWSROOM.COM

Support from around the world continues to come in for one-year old pit bull Patrick, and the New Jersey woman accused of abandoning him has pleaded not guilty.

Public defender Regina Lynch entered the plea on behalf of Kisha Curtis, 27, who is in the Essex County Jail, during Curtis’ first appearance by video conference Thursday in Superior Court in Newark.

NJ.com reports Curtis faces two counts of tormenting and torturing a living creature by failing to provide sustenance and two counts of abandonment, according to Assistant Essex County Prosecutor Cheryl Cucinello.

Curtis' mother, Tammie Curtis, was present for the arraignment and defending her daughter.

"Somebody gave that dog to Kisha," Tammie said, "and she couldn't take care of it.”

After the hearing, Tammie Curtis said her daughter left the dog, whose rescuers named him Patrick, tied at the Garden Spires apartments in Newark and went to Albany, N.Y.

Patrick was tied to a stairway railing with a leather leash, Mark Ortman, a security guard at the 520-unit complex, said.

Judge Amilkar Velez-Lopez kept Curtis’ bail at $10,000 bond or $1,000 cash and forbid her to have contact with pets.

If convicted, Curtis faces 18 months in prison, a $3,000 fine and community service.When a custodian found Patrick on March 16, the dog was inside a trash bag at the bottom of a 22-story garbage chute.

Meanwhile, CBS New York reports Essex County’s courthouse has received more than 200 letters and faxes from around the world expressing concern for the dog and urging swift and harsh punishment for Curtis.

Prosecutor Carolyn Murray is taking this case so seriously that she assigned two assistants who normally handle homicides to the case.

Since being found, the starved pit bull has been recovering at Garden State Veterinary Specialists in Tinton Falls. Though not ready for adoption, Patrick has gained two pounds, and he barks and wags his tail, hospital administrator Patricia Smillie-Scavelli said.

On its website, the center wrote that is has received so many donations that it has discontinued accepting them and is urging people to donate to local animal shelters.

And Today.com reports the local SPCA, which first filed charges, is still trying to determine if someone else put Patrick in a bag and threw him down the garbage chute. More people may yet be charged.

It is asking anyone with information to call its tip line at 800-582-5979.

Newark pit bull recovering from starvation after being found in trash

Owner of Patrick, starved Newark pit bull, facing felony charge

Kisha Curtis of Newark faces charges in pit bull abuse case

Comments (27)

Maybe someone can answer this, the abuser said she was not even around to throw Patrick down the chute, does anyone know if the trash bag was kept for fingerprint evidence?? Also, if she claims she was in Albany for that week, will the proscutors office check her cell phone towers for her where about locations, maybe there is an atty out there following this that can answer this

I just want to know why the security man of the apartment building, who admitted that he saw Patrick tided up and starving WEEKS ago, didn't do anything to help him THEN?! He didn't care enough to help and he only comes forward to identify the abuser AFTER he finds out that there is a reward!!!! This idiot is just as guilty for not doing anything and he doesn't deserve the reward!!!!

Kisha Curtis wants the world to believe she tied the dog up for a week hoping someone would adopt it and it ended up in the condition this dog did?
How would she explain the dog from Japan who was floating on a tin roof for 3 weeks w/no food or water and the condidtion he is in. Check out the difference in the pics.
The fact this sick, evil womans' Mother is defending her says it all!

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I will never understand why the government does not consider animal abuse and neglect the same as humans. If they only knew what is really going on out here, maybe some of them would have a change of heart. I can show them pictures and videos of animals being raped, set on fire, beaten to death, tortured, skinned alive, STARVED to death, stabbed to death....just tell me when to stop. I can go on and on. But because in their eyes they are just "animals" it doesnt matter to them. I would like to ask them to sit down with me and watch just one video of a animal being abused till it dies. No, dont press that pause button, watch the whole video. That animal didnt have a pause button to stop their abuser or the person filming it. I want them to tell me what makes a human life more serious then taken a animals life. Can animals feel pain like humans? Yes! Can animals cry like humans? Yes! Do animals have feelings like humans? Yes! Do animals love like humans? Yes! Can animals talk like humans? NO!! That is where I and other animal advocates step up and speak for them and will continue to do so until the laws change!!

Mayor Cory Booker made a video outlining his committment to help animals in Newark on behalf of Patrick. Please go to Mayor Bookers link : http://wishes.causes.com/wishes/260795

Comments (1)

I am speechless to say the least: broken hearted to see this poor angel tortured to this extent: no animal on this earth should be abused in anyway: this criminal who did this should be punished to the fullest: shes a fat uneducated criminal and yes I agree: starve and tie her up! amen pray for this partick may he gain his health back and have a life!

An article published a few days ago in the NJ Star Ledger quoted the security officer saying that, for MONTHS, the dog would "whimper and bark" when people went near "it." How could that many people encounter this suffering, voiceless animal without doing something...anything?
http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2011/03/newark_woman_pleads_not_guilty_3.html

did this person really go to DUKE? what for janitorial work,she sure as hell did not go for an education.FAT,DRUNK and STUPID are no way to go through life.lock her ass up.did someone say she did porn?for who the blind.what

Enough with the Michael Vicks of the world, throw the book at animal abusers.I do not think 18 months is even near enough time for what that poor dog went through.The punishment should fit the crime for everyone who was involved.STOP letting these kind of people continue to associate with society.Let's put an end to animal cruelty one way or another.

I'm surprised that there is speak here of bail. Typically individuals that are considered a danger to themselves or others aren't given bail. She's very clearly a danger to others considering her treatment of an animal in her care.

She doesn't deserve bail. She should remain in custody until her hearing, which I pray will be harsh.

I applaud all everts to prosecute Ms Curtis to the fullest extent of the law. My prayer is this prosecutor and her assistants make Curtis an example that will serve as a deterant for other animal abusers.

I encourage this team of prosecutors to persue charges against others who knew about Patrick's abuse, such as the security guard Mark Ortman, and even her mother. Unless this woman lived in complete and total isolation, others knew about Patrick's plight and did nothing to stop it. They should be charged as well.

I believe that the time to stop slapping people on the wrist for abusing and neglecting animals is long overdue. I also believe that animal shelters should be just that--shelters. No one in this country would tolerate shelters for abused and battered women and children to euthanize them if not "rescued". The same expectations should apply to humane society shelters even more stringently. Animals did not choose their plight; abused women do.

Folks like Curtis would find no problem with abusing and neglecting the elderly, children or the handicapped. I feel sure that research would support the notion that individuals who abuse and torture animals also abuse people, or even worse.

Innocent animals do not have a voice; someone has to be their champions just as the elderly and the young need someone to fight their battles for them. Please continue to fight for the innocent, abandoned & neglected animals.

I encourage animal lovers to stand united to stop the abuse, neglect and useless euthanization of animals.

God bless!

Comments (1)

Bottom line... Curtis was starving Patrick a full month and a half before she left town and admitted to leaving him without food, water and someone to care for him. He didn't get into that heinous condition in one week. The two Curtis women are liars. That poor puppy was tortured, had no hope and must have suffered horribly waiting to slowly painfully die. He has pressure wounds all his body from being tied up in one small spot, unable to move around. Those sores didn't happen one week. TORTURE!!! It is what it is.

How cruel, I always thought people in porn made money so undoubtedly not. You the abuser could not care for Patrick. And if you could not care for him then why did you the abuser not find someone who could.

I saw her crying on News 12 ....where were the tears for Patrick?
Was the dog tied up outside or inside? Check the garbage bags is right ....so what if she didn't throw him in the garbage she did this to him regardless. What the heck is wrong with people???

Come on....Her mother is defending her????? Someone gave her the puppy and she couldn't take care of it????? That dog must have been tied to the railing for 2 months then...or longer. A dog just doesn't get in that condition in a week. Bottom line, it was her dog and she let that dog suffer and probably be tortured by passerbys. I don't feel sorry for her in the least bit. The security guard should have called the authorities when he saw dog tied up. He should be charged too. If it was a human this wouldn't have happened. Some people say, it's just a dog....NO IT'S NOT JUST A DOG, IT FEELS PAIN, IT BLEEDS AND IT HAS FEELINGS. Give this ho bag the book. Let her be the poster child for people who do this kind of thing. Make an example of her so it might help another helpless animal.

I think they need to investigate the security guard as a second person in the case since he/she did nothing to help the dog when found tied to the railing, think this person may have dumped Patrick down the chute. Thats just my own opinion.

Stop calling Kisha Curtis his owner. Anyone that has treated a dog like she did and abandoned him is not an owner...they are an animal abuser. The second most despicible pieces of filth on the Earth. She deserves to be punished to the full extent of the law!

judges in NJ are not elected- they are appointed.
why bother making bail 10,000 if you are ok with ten percent???

and no, to the other poster- you didn't misinterpret- the security guard did see Patrick there and art first did NOTHING

The justtice system STINKS!
18 months is not nearly enough. This woman should be locked up for life!

Comments (1)

How could the security guard see a dog tied to railings in that condition and do nothing? Or am I misinterpreting what has been said?

Jane is correct. If this woman does not get 18 months- no paroll- 18 months- then there is something very very wrong here.

There should be no question that prison time is necessary. No question that this woman commited a federal crime. Is bail really set at 1000.00? That is insane. Who is this judge?

I was so dissapointed to read that this criminal sociopath has the ability to get out of jail with 1000.00 cash??? Is that the way this is going to go? Does the tremendous outpouring of outrage mean nothing to the judge?

This woman needs to be in prison. She is an abuser, a sociopath and is completely without remorse. As is her mother.

This disgusts me- and if the Judge lets this go- I say let's make sure that judge doesn't see a re-election- and gets her fair share of this attention- because she is the only person that stands between punishment and a slap. And if she is willing to let this go- then she needs to be pointed out in the press and media what kind of judge she actually is. The importance of executing a swift punishment is huge.

patrick didn't just get tied to a railing in that condition...he wasn't even able to stand up on his own and his temperature was so low it didn't even register on a thermometer. does her attorney really think that any judge is going to be stupid enough to believe that this monster received the dog in the condition he was found in and decided she couldn't care for him and left him tied to a railing? she systematically starved and neglected patrick for months before his body began to shut down. a pitbull is a large, muscular dog in stature and the photographs are evidence enough of her vast guilt. it is my hope that she is fully prosecuted to the full extent of the law and when she gets to walk freely among the rest of us that karma visits her for what she did to an innocent animal that had no choice but to trust that monster to care for him. surely someone in that monster's life had to be aware of what she was doing, i can't imagine that patrick suffered in silence for a moment.

So what if the Patrick was given to her. If she couldnt of taken care of him she should of taken him to the spca where he could of been cared for instead of doing what she did. Im tired of hearing the lame excuses.

wwwohhhhhhhhhhoooooooooo Patrick now has over 70,000 FaceBook friends! If everyone of us brought one can or one bag of dog food in your honor to our local rescue organization....our actions would become your voice! You have survived you own hunger Patrick and what a tribute we could make to your incredible survival by feeding the homeless animals of the world! And who knows...maybe some of us will come back with a friend... }{ugllezzzzz from New Brunswick CAnada xo

I am sure if someone looks in her apartment there is the identical garbages she used !!!!!!!!!! Big FAT liar.........she didn't lack for food. I say and eye for eye ......lets starve her !!!

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