Two arraigned in Webster’s House animal cruelty case

By Shawn Cunningham
© 2016 Telegraph Publishing LLC

WHITE RIVER JUNCTION

On Tuesday morning, May 24, at Windsor County Superior Court, Mary Donaldson and Jessica “Remy” Fecteau of Webster’s House in Chester pleaded not guilty to misdemeanor charges stemming from an investigation into cruelty to animals at the shelter.

According to court documents, Donaldson and Fecteau were each charged with one count of cruelty to animals. In addition, Donaldson was charged with four counts of giving false information to an officer and Fecteau was charged with three counts of giving false information to an officer. In Donaldson’s case the cruelty charge involved depriving an animal of medical treatment, while Fecteau was charged with cruelty for restraining an animal in a manner detrimental to its welfare.

In a five-page affidavit, Chester Police Det. Matt Wilson also alleges that Donaldson and Fecteau made several misleading statements during interviews with him in an effort to deflect the investigation from themselves or in the case of Donaldson, from Fecteau.

After being confronted with discrepancies in their stories, Wilson says that Donaldson and Fecteau gave statements in which they admit that they were caring for a kitten that was having continual seizures throughout one night last fall.  Both felt that the animal was in distress and rather than wait until morning to take the animal to the vet to be put down, Fecteau drowned the kitten in a pail of water.

The charges stem from a complaint by Crystal Losee, a former volunteer at the shelter.

The next hearing in the cases of the two women is July 6 in Windsor Superior Court.