Saugus woman accused of kicking, killing dog on Revere Beach

REVERE, Mass. — A 57-year-old Saugus woman will be facing animal cruelty charges after a horrifying scene that happened in front of beachgoers Sunday afternoon.

Witnesses on Revere Beach told police they saw the woman kick her dog before dragging the animal into the water. A lifeguard brought the dog to the shoreline and attempted to perform CPR.

Revere City Councilor George Rotondo, who’s also a nurse, walked up to the aftermath and tried to offer assistance.

“The lifeguard was just banging away as best as he could. I said, ‘I’m an ICU nurse, let me help you lift the dog up,’” Rotondo said.

Rotondo told Boston 25 News Reporter Drew Karedes that the small gray dog could not be saved. He believes the dog had already drowned in the water.

>>>MORE: Man arrested after allegedly robbing Mansfield CVS at gunpoint

“If you can do this to an animal, you can do this to a person,” Rotondo said. “She seemed like she was having a breakdown. She was saying, ‘I can’t believe this happened. This is my dog. It’s a service dog.’”

Rotondo said the beach was packed with families, including young children, during the disturbing incident.

State Police said troopers questioned the woman, whose identity has not yet been released.

According to a State Police spokesman, the 57-year-old was not arrested on scene but is expected to be summoned to court at a later date on animal cruelty charges.

Cox Media Group