Judge bans Derry woman from owning pets for 7 years after caged dog dies of dehydration

A Derry Borough woman is forbidden from having any pets during her seven-year probation term for allowing a dog to die of dehydration in her basement.

Judge Christopher Feliciani said Destiny F. Witherspoon, 27, left the dog, named Dallas, alone locked in a cage while she dropped off two other dogs with a pet sitter during an out-of-town trip.

“It does, in my opinion, raise the seriousness of your thought process to being much more intentional or grossly negligent behavior on your part,” he said.

He sentenced her to one year on house arrest and 100 hours of community service in addition to the probation term. She pleaded guilty to aggravated cruelty to animals in March.

The dog was found dead July 29, 2022, in a crate in the basement of Witherspoon’s home by a person who knew Witherspoon had left town days earlier. Borough police said it appeared the canine had been dead for several days. Firefighters were called in to remove the dog’s body because the house was so full of trash that there wasn’t a clear path to get out, according to court papers.

It took four days for the animal to die of dehydration, said Assistant District Attorney Elizabeth Ranger.

“What makes this case difficult to me is the image of Dallas sitting there, wondering what he had done to deserve this, wondering when she would come back,” Ranger said. “She didn’t come.”

She asked that Witherspoon be sentenced to a jail term.

Attorney Tyler DeLuco blamed the dog’s death on Witherspoon’s drug addiction and described her as an animal lover who was coping with the deaths of two people close to her at the time. She has completed treatment, and DeLuco pointed out that she has been on supervision since her arrest in 2022 without any problems.

“She’s always been remorseful,” he said.