Defendant Found Guilty, Will Serve 8-10 Years

The Animal Rescue League of Boston (ARL) is pleased to report that the man convicted of inflicting horrific and ultimately fatal injuries to the dog forever known as Puppy Doe, will spend the next 8-10 years in prison for these acts of cruelty.

Radoslaw Czerkawski, a 35-year-old Polish National, was convicted of 12 individual counts of animal cruelty.

ARL thanks and is grateful to Norfolk County District Attorney Michael Morrissey and his staff, the Quincy Police Department, and everyone whose hard work, dedication, and determination, led to this conviction.

From the outset, Puppy Doe’s death would not be in vain. She now has peace, but she continues to be a light to move forward in continuing efforts to improve animal protection laws in Massachusetts; we owe it to her to never allow such an atrocity to happen again.

“Today was a historic day for animal welfare in Massachusetts,” said ARL President Mary Nee. “With the conviction and sentencing of Radoslaw Czerkawski, it has been demonstrated that people who commit animal cruelty, and in this case extreme cruelty, will be held accountable. Ironically Puppy Doe’s short and tragic life was the impetus for stronger laws protecting all animals in the Commonwealth.”

Protecting Animals in Massachusetts

The discovery of Puppy Doe and the subsequent investigation that followed sparked conversation throughout the Commonwealth on what could be done to prevent anything like this from happening again.

In 2014, the PAWS Act was passed, which stiffened fines and penalties, required veterinarians to report suspicions of abuse to authorities (keep in mind if the veterinarian who initially treated Puppy Doe hadn’t had the foresight to report her findings to ARL, this case may have never seen the light of day), and established the Animal Cruelty and Protection Task Force, who was charged with providing future protections for animals in Massachusetts.

Currently, PAWS II, which derived directly from the task force’s recommendations, was recently passed in the Massachusetts Senate, and will soon be debated in the House. If passed, this bill would further strengthen animal protection laws in the state.

Puppy Doe Background

On August 31, 2013, after Puppy Doe was found by Quincy Animal Control and rushed to the South Shore VCA for treatment. Due to the extreme nature of her injuries, she was humanely euthanized. Fortunately, the attending veterinarian, Dr. Duffy, recognized the trauma this animal had endured and reported it to ARL’s Director of Law Enforcement, Lt. Alan Borgal, who dispatched ARL Rescue Services to transport her to the organization’s Boston facility, where a necropsy was performed.

Subsequently, Quincy Police were notified and the necropsy findings sent to the offices of Norfolk County District Attorney Michael Morrissey. Presented with the necropsy findings, which detailed an unprecedented level of abuse and torture, the Norfolk DA and the Quincy Police immediately began an investigation including appeals to the public for information related to the perpetrator of this horrific abuse.

During the investigation and the trial, ARL provided assistance to Quincy and Norfolk officials.

The amount of hours and manpower put into this single case of animal cruelty cannot be calculated and ARL commends everyone who fought to give Puppy Doe a voice.

Additionally, this case illustrates the importance of veterinarians and the public reporting animal abuse and neglect. We are all advocates for animals, and if an inhumane act is witnessed or even suspected, it’s imperative to contact local law enforcement immediately to remove the animal from the situation.

Again, ARL would like to thank everyone involved to bring justice for Puppy Doe, and may she now rest in peace.