SOUTHINGTON, Conn. (WHDH) — A woman is facing criminal charges after police say she tried to silence her neighbor’s barking dog by feeding the animal chocolate-covered mothball “treats.”
Sandra Sullivan, 58, of Southington, Connecticut, was arrested last week on charges including criminal attempt to commit cruelty to animals, according to the Southington Police Department.
Officers responding to a report of suspicious activity at a home on Whitlock Avenue on Dec. 23, 2021, spoke with a man who said he observed Sullivan walking along his fence where his dog had been barking, police said.
The man reportedly told officers that he witnessed Sullivan place a “cream-filled chocolate-covered candy” on a tree stump in his neighbor’s yard, as well as his back stairs.
Police say the man inspected the candy, noticed a smell consistent with a urinal deodorizer, and found a mothball inside.
While speaking with investigators, Sullivan allegedly admitted to placing mothballs inside the candies.
“Sullivan expressed frustration over the neighbor’s dog barking at all hours and decided to make a ‘treat’ for the dog to see if he would ‘stop barking,'” the department wrote in a news release. “She said her intent was not to hurt the dog, she just wanted the dog to stop barking excessively.”
Sullivan surrendered to police on Jan. 25 after a warrant was issued for her arrest.
She has since been released on $1,000 bond. She is due back in court next month.
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