A Litigation Article from All-Creatures.org

Former Fairfield Connecticut Official Charged Again With Animal Cruelty Sentenced to Jail

From IDA In Defense of Animals
December 2023

While we believe that people who repeatedly and without remorse act like this should spend many years in jail, we are still grateful for a prison sentence longer than one year since animal abusers so rarely see jail time.

We are pleased by the recent sentencing of Raymond Neuberger who was found guilty of multiple counts of animal cruelty for abusing and killing a former girlfriend’s animals after previously being convicted of animal cruelty a few years earlier.

While we believe that people who repeatedly and without remorse act like this should spend many years in jail, we’re still grateful for a prison sentence longer than one year since animal abusers so rarely see jail time. Superior Court Judge Elizabeth Reid sentenced him to six years in prison, suspended after he has served 17 months. This will also be followed by four years of probation.

Neuberger, who has a history of harming animals, was first charged with four counts of animal cruelty in 2018 after injuring his then-fiancee's cavalier King Charles spaniels, Thor and Charlie. He poured boiling water on one dog and fractured multiple ribs of the other. While they luckily did recover, unfortunately, Neuberger only spent 41 days in jail and was sentenced to two years probation that came from taking a plea deal where he was forced to make a $25,000 donation to the Bridgeport Animal Shelter. Sadly, in exchange, Neuberger was able to get “accelerated rehabilitation” which is a pre-trial probation program. His charges thus got wiped from the record. This is unfortunate because there is a Connecticut state statute that classifies subsequent animal cruelty violations as class C felonies with fines of up to $10,000 and 10 years in prison, or both,

In August 2022, Neuberger was charged with animal cruelty yet again, plus third-degree assault and disorderly conduct after attacking a new girlfriend and torturing her cat Gem, who did not survive after being doused in bleach, forced to ingest some as well, and was found to have suffered “head trauma, collapsed lungs, a ruptured liver, and a broken fang.”

While charges were pending, his then-girlfriend’s roommate filed a complaint alleging he tortured another cat Pearl, who suffered a severe chemical burn.

In October 2022, Neuberger was arrested, and charged with assault in the third degree, disorderly conduct, and cruelty to animals.

Thanks to the actions of kind In Defense of Animals supporters, we were able to send Fairfield Judicial District State Attorney Joseph T. Corradino our petition letter with 15,432 signatures supporting Neuberger’s strong prosecution.

This March, Neuberger was taken into custody again for allegedly threatening the detective who arrested him for animal cruelty! His bond was increased to $1 million.

These tragic cases highlight what happens when animal cruelty isn’t dealt with seriously the first time. Not only did Neuberger essentially get away with harming two dogs, but he continued to cause suffering that escalated to domestic violence and threats against law enforcement. We’re so glad that he’s finally being held accountable.

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