Warwick Man Charged With Mistreating Numerous Puppies And Dogs: Cops

The man was arrested by officers responding to reports of puppies and dogs left outdoors for extended periods of time, police said.

By Joseph Hosey, Patch Staff

Nov 11, 2026 8:45 PM EST

WARWICK, RI — A Warwick man was charged with mistreating numerous puppies and dogs, police said.

Rodrigo Moreira, 60, was charged with 25 counts of animal mistreatment and failure to provide adequate care, the Warwick Police Department said in a media release.

Moreira was arrested after officers responded to reports of dogs and puppies left outside a residence on Fulton Street near West Shore Road, according to the release.

"Earlier in the day, several loose dogs had also been reported in the neighborhood and were believed to have originated from the property," the release said.

"Upon arrival, responding officers observed significant amounts of animal feces throughout the backyard and detected a strong odor of feces and urine emanating from a shed on the property," according to the release.

"Officers subsequently located several dogs and puppies confined in three separate crates inside the shed," the release said.

"Officers observed that the animals had no accessible food or water," the release said. "The crates contained urine and animal feces that were observed throughout the shed. "

Moreira returned home while the officers were still at his property and allowed them to come inside his house, according to the release.

"Inside the home, officers discovered additional dogs and puppies being housed in unsanitary conditions," the release said. "Several puppies were confined to a whelping pen that was contaminated with feces and lacked accessible water. Officers also observed additional dogs confined in crates, all without access to water."

All the puppies and dogs were taken to the Warwick Animal Shelter for care and evaluation, according to the release.