Coventry women charged with over 100 counts of animal cruelty

COVENTRY, Conn. (WTNH) — Two women were arrested this week after Coventry police say they were housing more than a hundred animals on their property.

Sandra Lis was charged with 19 counts of animal cruelty and Kristal Lis was charged with 119 counts of animal cruelty.

The arrests come after several weeks of investigation into a property on the 300 block of Dunn Road.

Police said a search and seizure warrant was obtained for the property. On scene, law enforcement seized more than a hundred animals including horses, pigs, dogs, cats, rabbits, goats, and various species of birds and fowl.

They also found eight deceased animals in the home’s freezer, which were sent to the University of Connecticut for necropsies.

Neighbors said they had no idea what was going on just down the road.

“There has to be an underlying psychological issue, you know you don’t have that many animals and everything is OK,” Kris Turi, of Coventry, said.

Police said the State Animal Control Unit, Vernon Animal Control, NECCOG Animal Control, Willimantic Animal Control, Windsor Animal Control, Stafford Animal Control, and Deep River/Essex Animal Control all assisted in the seizure.

Both women were released on non-surety bonds and are scheduled to appear in court on Oct. 1.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WTNH.com.