Woman lies about dog’s death at her boarding and training business in Haddam: warrant

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A woman has been arrested after lying about a dog dying in her care while at her boarding and training business in Haddam, according to police.

State police said they responded to a home in Haddam last week to arrest 65-year-old Jacqueline Witt.

An arrest warrant states that Witt had a business posted on a website called Thumbtack, advertising boarding and training services through her business “Wagging Good.”

Witt allegedly charged between $1,000 and $2,500 to pick up dogs from peoples’ homes and bring them back to her house, where she left them in crates.

According to authorities, Witt was caring for a French bulldog on Sept. 4, 2023 when he died under her supervision. She didn’t tell the owners about their dog’s death and instead continued to send updates about his progress in training, according to the warrant.

The warrant says she had five dogs in her care at that time. She kept the dog’s body in a trash bag in her sunroom next to the other dogs she was caring for, police said.

After about 10 days, Witt eventually buried the dog’s body on Canterbury Turnpike in Norwichtown, the warrant states.

The dog’s owner contacted police when her dog wasn’t returned on the agreed upon date. During the investigation, Witt told police multiple different stories about what happened to the dog and where he was located.

Witt later claimed that she had stepped away when the dog when he got out of an outdoor enclosure and was hit by a car. However, investigators believe the dog wasn’t fed in her care and he may have had a heat stroke, the warrant states.

The other dogs in Witt’s care were in poor condition and were skinnier than when they were dropped off, according to the warrant. They also returned to their owners with “psychological and/or physical illnesses.”

A necropsy performed on the dog that died showed that he was emaciated with “severe prominence of ribs, vertebrae and scapulae.” Part of the dog’s skin had “multiple areas of pale and red discoloration,” the warrant states.

Police arrested Witt on Sept. 6 after serving a warrant, charging her with four counts of animal cruelty and tampering with evidence. She was released on a $50,000 bond and is scheduled to appear in court on Sept. 19.

The investigation remains ongoing.