A canine coach who allegedly tried to substitute a Palo Alto resident’s German shepherd with one other canine after failing to return the pet to its proprietor will face fees, the Palo Alto Police Department has confirmed.
A Santa Clara County Superior Court choose issued a felony warrant for Josephine Marie Ragland, 28, on Nov. 10 charging grand theft of a companion animal and grand theft after the disappearance of Scott, a pure-bred German shepherd she had been employed to coach.
Ragland, who presently resides in Connecticut, can also be dealing with prison fees in a Massachusetts case after a canine she took to coach died in her care.
Scott’s proprietor, Carolina Bruchilari, gave the canine to Ragland to coach in December 2022 after seeing an advert for her providers on Thumbtack, a web-based home providers app.
After being interviewed by Bruchilari and her husband, Ragland took the canine on Dec. 18, 2022, saying she would deliver him again on Jan. 2. Bruchilari obtained updates on Scott’s progress together with pictures from Ragland.
But on Jan. 2, the coach known as to say she had a household emergency and would deliver the canine again on Jan. 4 as an alternative, Bruchilari stated throughout a January interview.
Ragland returned with an imposter as an alternative, Bruchilari stated. The substitute was sporting Scott’s Apple tag tracker, however it did not have the identical coloring or physique form as Scott.
Ragland instructed police that Scott had been left with a person in Humboldt County whereas she was out of city. She claimed no accountability for the canine. She additionally instructed Bruchilari that Scott had died.
“There’s no return to facilitate,” Ragland wrote in a textual content message to Bruchilari. “The canine is most undoubtedly useless. Broke via a window display screen in the midst of the night time, and (the canine sitter) did not see till the morning.
“It was throughout the massive storm, he searched throughout and located blood streaks and clumps of the dogs (sic) fur, in addition to a part of a paw/arm, so we will solely think about,” the textual content acknowledged.
But as police continued their investigation, Ragland apparently moved out of California and arrange one other itemizing, once more on Thumbtack, allegedly utilizing a false identify and claiming to be a canine coach.
A Massachusetts household gave their French bulldog, Charlie, to Ragland, paying her $1,500, North Reading police Chief Mark Zimmerman stated in a press release. The canine was not returned on the designated date, Sept. 16.
Ragland allegedly claimed the bulldog had been struck and killed by a automotive and that she had buried him in her yard in Connecticut. Investigators discovered the canine’s stays greater than 35 minutes from her home, in Norwich, Connecticut, in accordance with paperwork obtained by Massachusetts information outlet WFSB 3.
A necroscopy carried out by the University of Connecticut decided the bulldog was emaciated on the time of its loss of life, Zimmerman stated.
Ragland faces felonies within the Massachusetts case: larceny over $1,200 by false pretense and intimidating a witness, in accordance with court docket paperwork. She has pleaded not responsible.
Palo Alto police Capt. James Reifschneider stated the warrant hasn’t but been served since Ragland stays in custody on the East Coast dealing with a number of felony fees there.
“It is unlikely Ms. Ragland would return to California till the Massachusetts case resolves,” he stated in an electronic mail.
