Justice Served for Missy, the Yorkshire Terrier

CRANSTON, RI – A jury has found Nicola Patalano, 60, of Cranston, guilty of maliciously killing an animal, Attorney General Peter Kilmartin said today. Patalano on Nov. 21, 2014, beat the 10-pound Yorkshire terrier named Missy to death.

Patalano was tried in Providence Superior Court. The verdict came in after the jury deliberated for a day and a half.

Patalano faces up to two years in prison.

"During the course of the trial, the State proved that Nicola Patalano beat and killed his neighbor’s ten pound Yorkie, named Missy," Kilmartin's office said. "On Nov. 21, 2014 at approximately 1:30 p.m., Dolores Antonelli was walking Missy near her apartment complex on Western Hills Lane in Cranston. As she was walking towards the parking lot of the apartment complex Dolores saw her neighbor, Nicola Patalano, walking his dog, a medium-sized terrier weighing approximately 20 pounds."

According to the AG's office "Missy spotted Patalano and his dog and ran towards them jerking the leash from Dolores’ hand. The two dogs began barking at one another although never made physical contact."

However, Patalano hit Missy "multiple times with his wooden cane on her head and body, as Dolores screamed for him to stop," Kilmartin's office said. "The blows knocked Missy unconscious and unresponsive."

A neighbor helped the owner take Missy to a vet, but the dog was already dead, the vet's office confirmed.

"When interviewed by Cranston Police Officer Wayne Russell and Animal Control Officer Patricia Maxwell, Patalano admitted to striking Missy several times and stated, 'I hit the dog to kill it,'" the Attorney General's office said.

“Recognizing that the abuse of an animal is often symptomatic of violence in individuals, my office has successfully advocated for stiffer sentences for those who maliciously injure or kill animals, such as Missy,” said Kilmartin.

Cranston Police Officer Wayne Russell and Animal Control Officer Patricia Maxwell led the investigation, and Special Assistant Attorneys General Kimberly Ahern and Jonathan Burke prosecuted the case on behalf of the Office of Attorney General.

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