On Wednesday, June 10, 2015 the public learned of a horrendous case of animal neglect, abuse and cruelty that took place in New Bedford, MA. Jake Brousseau (24) and Sabrina Harding (23) collected free animals from Craigslist, Facebook and other sites with the supposed intention of offering a good home for them. What happened was far different from their intentions. What they were really doing was attempting to flip free animals from animal auction sites so that they could make themselves a profit. While that may not be illegal and there is no way of tracking such transactions, what is illegal is animal cruelty in the state of Massachusetts. While Law Enforcement and the Justice system in this case may not be able to address free animals listed on Craigslist and other animal auction sites, what they can address is the actual animal abuse and cruelty that took place at the hands of Jake Brousseau and Sabrina Harding.

Many animal advocates know the perils of what happens to many "free animals" on Craigslist and other animal rehoming sites. The stories are too numerous to even try to convey. One such story happened here in Massachusetts. The story of Puppy Doe caused enough concern that the laws were recently changed in Massachusetts to garner harsher punishment for those that would harm an animal so carelessly without regard for their suffering.

There is an extreme lack of empathy for anyone collecting animals with the intention to keep or sell for money but in truth hoarded and starved them to death. Twenty-three of the 46 animals were deceased in the home of Jake Brousseau and Sabrina Harding. Even more animals were found at another location in Rhode Island. These animals suffered through the terrible cruelty of starvation and neglect. This is an absolute horrific act of animal cruelty and it most certainly falls under the terms of the new laws brought about by the Puppy Doe case. This type of animal cruelty is unacceptable and deserves far more than a slap on the wrist. It is of grave concern that the bail for each of these animal abusers was set so low. If these two individuals are not held accountable in some way under the Massachusetts Laws of Animal Cruelty, they will most certainly do it again! Please do the right thing and hold these animal abusers accountable!

"When officers arrived Wednesday night, they discovered nearly two dozen dead animals inside and another two dozen that were sick and malnourished." 
http://wpri.com/2015/06/11/dozens-of-dead-and-sick-animals-found-inside-new-bedford-home/

"New Bedford animal control officers and Tiverton [Rhode Island] police converged Wednesday on a house in Tiverton where animals -- some dead and some alive -- were found."
http://www.turnto10.com/story/29298754/animal-control-officers-converge-on-tiverton-property

"In the New Bedford courtroom, prosecutor John Hendrie presented a startling visual presentation of what investigators found in the South End apartment. He showed the judge an estimated 250 photos on a laptop with the 46 animals, either dead or emaciated."
http://www.capecodtimes.com/article/20150611/NEWS/150619803

"The couple was arrested Wednesday after police discovered 46 animals in their South Second Street apartment, half of them dead. A property in Tiverton housing additional animals is also being investigated in relation to the case."
http://wbsm.com/low-bail-set-for-new-bedford-house-of-horrors-couple/