Woman charged after 7 dead dogs, one dead cat found in Lebanon home
A Lebanon woman was charged with several counts of animal cruelty on Wednesday after seven dead dogs and one dead cat were found in her home, according to an arrest warrant.
Six 8-week-old Labrador Retriever puppies, one approximately 4-year-old Pitbull mix, and an all-black short-haired cat were found dead in Christine Banta’s abandoned Lebanon home on April 13, the warrant stated.
The Northeastern Connecticut Council of Governments’ animal control officer received a complaint that day about Banta’s home on Adam Heights Circle, the warrant stated. The person who complained said there was “an abandoned home with several dead dogs and puppies, and also a deceased cat,” according to the warrant.
Banta had vacated her home due to a foreclosure action, so when animal control officers arrived, they met with a preservation contractor, who unlocked Banta’s door, the warrant stated.
The home was covered in feces, torn-up garbage, dirty clothes, and other debris, according to the warrant.
“It was impossible to walk anywhere without stepping on feces,” the warrant stated.
Officers were also greeted by “a smell of fermentation” in some rooms, according to the warrant.
The first animal that officers found was a dead short-haired, all-black female cat under a shelf in a bedroom closet, the warrant stated.
In the basement of the home, in front of a washing machine and dryer, officers then found two dead 8-week-old black Labrador Retriever puppies. Their paws were covered in “a white substance melding with clothes they were surrounded by,” according to the warrant.
Also in the basement, there appeared to be a leaking heating system with a bin filled with water intended to stop the leak. Inside the bin were two more dead 8-week-old black Labrador puppies floating at the top, the warrant stated.
Underneath the basement stairs were two more malnourished, dead black Labrador puppies, one of which had maggots around it, according to the warrant.
Leaning against a glass door in the basement was a dead, female, medium-sized, tan Pitbull mix that appeared to be about 4. She was “extremely malnourished with exposed ribs and sunken eyes,” the warrant stated.
Three of the dogs were taken to the University of Connecticut for a general necropsy the next day, according to the warrant.
Even before April 13, animal control officers were familiar with Banta and her home. There were two previous incidents regarding possible animal abandonment or neglect at her home. She also had already been arrested and charged with animal cruelty on Dec. 29 after one of those incidents, according to the warrant.
Banta was charged with eight counts of animal cruelty. She was arraigned on Wednesday in Norwich Superior Court.
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