Mother of Dog Trainer Arrested After Poker Player's Bulldog Dies
Date: 2024-09-12 Author: Robert Beloved Categories: POKER
Jacqueline Witt, the 64-year-old mother of a dog trainer, has been arrested for animal cruelty and attempting to destroy evidence after she tried to hide the body of a French bulldog belonging to a well-known poker player.
The Connecticut woman was involved with a pet-training business that trained and boarded dogs. According to police, four dogs were given to the facility, including a bulldog owned by Bart Hanson, a well-known professional poker player.
About a year ago, Hanson entrusted his pet to Josephine Ragland, Witt's 27-year-old daughter, who ran the pet-training business. At first glance, the woman seemed like a conscientious animal lover, which convinced Hanson to leave the dog with her for a two-week training course.
However, shortly after, the French bulldog, named Charlie, died of heat stroke, which turned out to be caused by a lack of food and water. Police determined that the dog died three to five days after being handed over for training. The cause of death was Ragland's neglect of the animal.
Ragland later admitted that after taking Charlie, she spent several days at a casino, leaving the animals unattended.
Mother and daughter lied to the dog owners and the police
Instead of admitting their guilt, Josephine Ragland and her mother tried to hide the truth from Hanson. Ragland, hiding under the false name Lily, sent him old photos and videos, claiming that the dog was fine.
Jacqueline Whitt also took part in the cover-up by dumping Charlie's body on the side of the road several dozen miles from her home. At the same time, her daughter told Hanson that the dog had escaped from a broken-down car and was hit by a vehicle. She lied, saying that she had buried the bulldog in her yard, and later said that wild animals had dug up the body.
However, Hanson did not believe this story and went to the police. As a result, the bulldog's body was found about a half-hour drive from Ragland's home. Police also found that four other dogs in the care of the mother and daughter were in poor condition.
Hanson sued Ragland and also filed charges against her for similar cases in California, where another client had Ragland return him an entirely different, aggressive dog instead of his German Shepherd.
Jacqueline Witt has been charged with four counts of cruelty to animals and one count of concealing evidence. She was released on $50,000 bail and is scheduled to appear in court Sept. 19.
