Middleboro woman pleads not guilty, released on personal recognizance, after 26 charges of Animal Cruelty

WAREHAM – A Middleboro woman has pleaded not guilty to charges that she allegedly neglected 26 animals at her Middleboro home, Plymouth County District Attorney Timothy Cruz and acting Middleboro Police Chief Robert Ferreira have announced. 

Thursday, at her arraignment in Wareham District Court, 43-year-old Kimberly Savino pleaded not guilty to 26 charges of Animal Cruelty By Custodian, Subsequent Offense. Judge Sharkansky ordered Savino be released on her own personal recognizance and that she have no contact with any animals. The Commonwealth requested Savino be held on $5,000 cash bail with conditions. 

The charges follow a lengthy investigation by the Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty of Animals-Angell, which eventually involved the Middleboro Police Department. In April, MSPCA officers contacted Savino for a routine check on horses owned by the defendant. While inspecting the property, officers found Savino’s horses to be significantly underweight and were being fed with “very poor-quality hay,” according to their report. Officers had pre-existing concerns regarding Savino since she was previously charged with animal cruelty in Michigan in 2014 and was ordered to pay about $40,000 in fines.

Over the next several months, after being advised by MSPCA officers on how to help improve the health of her horses, investigators found Savino continued to insufficiently feed and care for them. Between June 28 and October 16, Savino canceled and rescheduled at least nine appointments to have the horses weighed and assessed. 

On October 18th, MSPCA officers in coordination with Middleboro Police, executed search warrants for the horses at Savino’s property and her home. Inside the home, Middleboro police and animal control located 17 dogs, and two cats left in deplorable conditions in the basement. All 26 animals — which includes a guinea pig also found on the property – were recovered from Savino’s property by law enforcement and were taken into the care of professionals at the MSPCA-Angell Animal Medical Center. 

Officers also located the remains of several deceased dogs distributed between a freezer and “plastic casket boxes” inside Savino’s garage. 

As a result, on October 30th, Middleboro Police sought and obtained criminal complaints charging Savino with neglecting 17 dogs, two cats, and a guinea pig in her care. Additionally, the MSPCA obtained a separate criminal complaint charging Savino with neglecting six horses. 

Savino is next scheduled to appear in court on December 10th for a pretrial hearing. Assistant District Attorney Nicole Piacentini is prosecuting the cases, which were investigated by Middleboro Police and MSPCA law enforcement personnel.