Middleboro Woman Pleads Guilty in 26-Count Animal Cruelty Case

WAREHAM (WBSM) — A Middleboro woman changed her plea to guilty on charges alleging she neglected 26 animals at her home for months during 2024.

According to Plymouth County District Attorney Timothy J. Cruz, Kimberly Savino, 44, pleaded guilty in Wareham District Court to 26 charges of animal cruelty by custodian, subsequent offense.

The charges were from two separate, but related, criminal cases.

Judge Orders Probation, Animal Ownership Ban

In one of the cases, Savino was sentenced to a one-year suspended sentence and placed on three years of probation. In the other case, she was sentenced to an additional three years of probation after completion of the first sentence.

The Commonwealth, meanwhile, had sought a sentence of two and a half years of incarceration.

Savino was also ordered not to own or possess any animals, to maintain mental health treatment and serve 100 hours of community service. She was also ordered to cooperate with the Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, which may conduct check-ins of Savino’s home to ensure the safety of two animals in the care of family members living on the property.

Dozens of Animals Removed From Condemned Middleboro Home

In October 2024, Savino’s home at 53 Precinct Street in Middleboro was condemned when Middleboro Animal Control removed 17 dogs in need of medical care. Additional animals – including horses, two cats, a turtle and a guinea pig – were also part of the investigation.

MSPCA Investigation Began Months Earlier

The charges stemmed from an investigation by the MSPCA that began after the organization contacted Savino for a routine check on her horses in April 2024. The MSPCA was concerned about Savino’s ownership of animals since she had been previously charged with animal cruelty in Michigan in 2014. She was ordered to pay about $40,000 in fines in that case.

While inspecting the property, the MSPCA officers found the horses were significantly underweight and were being fed with “poor-quality hay,” according to their report. Although the MSPCA tried to work with her to help improve the health of the horses, they found she continued to insufficiently feed and care for them. Between June 28 and October 16, 2024, she canceled and rescheduled at least nine appointments to have the horses weighed and assessed.

Conditions Inside Home Deemed Hazardous

When Animal Control went to her home on October 18, they found the 17 dogs were all unregistered and “had no access to food or water and lived in filth,” according to the authorities. The house was condemned because the Middleboro Health Department determined it to be a health hazard, and the Middleboro Fire Department deemed it a fire hazard.

Massachusetts Wildlife You Can Legally Take Home as Pets

Massachusetts has such diverse wildlife, but also strict limitations on what you can bring home and cuddle. In fact, there are only certain reptiles and amphibians you can keep as pets (so no raccoons, squirrels, bunnies, etc.) and you are only allowed two of each. The state also says "you cannot sell, barter, or exchange them." Also, keep in mind, these are wildlife, so it's probably best to just leave them be and maybe visit a reptile shop instead to get your next pet.

Gallery Credit: Tim Weisberg

LOOK: Here are the pets banned in each state

Because the regulation of exotic animals is left to states, some organizations, including The Humane Society of the United States, advocate for federal, standardized legislation that would ban owning large cats, bears, primates, and large poisonous snakes as pets.

Read on to see which pets are banned in your home state, as well as across the nation.

Gallery Credit: Elena Kadvany