Dog's Death Leads To Animal Cruelty Guilty Plea In Lower Bucks

LOWER BUCKS COUNTY, PA —A former Lower Bucks County resident charged with animal cruelty in the death of his dog two years ago has reached a plea deal.

Alfino Santangelo Jr., 44, of West Chester, Chester County, recently pleaded guilty to misdemeanor cruelty to an animal and neglect of an animal. Prosecutors dropped a felony count of aggravated cruelty to an animal charge, according to court records.

Santangelo was sentenced by Bucks County Court of Common Pleas Judge Charissa Liller to three years probation, anger management classes, and a mental health evaluation.

He must also take medications as directed, not consume illicit drugs, and maintain full-time employment, the judge ordered. He also is barred from owning a pet or living in a home where someone has one.

The charges stemmed from a Middletown Township Police investigation in mid-July 2022 in which the department's animal control officer received a call about a deceased dog that had severe bruising, according to published reports.

Police and the Bucks County SPCA filed charges in September regarding the death of Porcha, a 1-year-old female boxer mix.

A necropsy, a post-mortem examination of an animal, performed by the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture’s Pennsylvania Veterinary Laboratory in Harrisburg found the dog died of shock from trauma that appeared to suggest a “non-accidental injury,” Levittown Now reported.

Vincent Caputo, Santangelo’s attorney, said his client admitted to kicking the dog and not taking it the the veterinarian. He added that his client apologized to the court and had remorse.

“He had a lot going on in his life at the time,” Caputo said, noting the family was dealing with a loss leading up to the dog’s death, Levittown Now stated.

The Bucks County SPCA offers a form online and a tip line at 844-SPCA-TIP (844-772-2847) for anyone who witnesses animal cruelty or neglect. Tipsters will remain anonymous.