After a five-month investigation, a local woman who formerly served as the manager of Tails of Courage animal shelter has been arrested on animal cruelty charges.

According to the Wolcott Police Department, 32-year-old Krystel Lopez turned herself into police on Friday (November 15) after learning that there had been a warrant out for her arrest. After being accused of She has been charged with seven counts of animal cruelty, three counts of practicing veterinary medicine without a license and many other related charges.

Police say that while Lopez was running Tails of Courage, an animal rescue facility that was located on Smith Street in Danbury before relocating to Woodtick Rd. in Wolcott after the City of Danbury decided to drop a lawsuit earlier this year in exchange for the animal shelter giving up their shelter permits, an investigation was launched after a puppy died within 24 hours of being adopted. 

As the investigation unfolded, police say they learned that four puppies out of a total of seven that had been adopted out by the facility suffered from Parvo, a highly contagious, gastrointestinal virus. Lopez has been accused of adopting out the sick puppies without providing them with the proper treatment.

This is not the first time Krystel Lopez has been arrested after being accused of Animal Cruelty. Back in April of 2018, she was arrested in Danbury under similar circumstances. 

In a report from NBC Connecticut, Lopez's attorney issued the following statement on her behalf:

She denies any wrongdoing. She denies doing anything intentional to harm any animals. She got involved in this field because she cares for animals and she loves animals and she tried to give a lot of animals a good home.

After turning herself in to the Wolcott PD, Lopez was released on a $5,000 Bond.

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