Target: Paul J. Ferencek, State’s Attorney, Stamford/Norwalk Judicial District, Connecticut
Goal: Impose the longest prison term, lifetime animal-ownership ban, full restitution, and psychological treatment for the individual who allegedly abused more than 40 dogs and left a foster pet missing.
Scores of dogs reportedly suffered unimaginable neglect at the hands of one caretaker. Authorities claim Sarah Smolak kept animals in urine-soaked homes, leaving a paralyzed pit bull named Little Squishy dehydrated, skin-and-bones, and covered in waste. Another dog, Royal Blue, was purportedly so underweight that veterinary intervention was required. Police further allege the residences were ruined by layers of feces and that remediation crews had to wear respirators for weeks.
Investigators say the cruelty spanned two towns and continued even after the suspect moved. In Winsted, officers allegedly removed 27 dogs in need of treatment, while a foster group reports that a pit bull named Marshmallow vanished under Smolak’s watch and has not been found. In total, the defendant faces more than 40 felony and misdemeanor cruelty counts along with charges of larceny and massive property damage.
Meaningful accountability is essential. Anything less than a maximum sentence would diminish the agony these animals reportedly endured and open the door to future suffering. Sign below to demand a strong punishment, a permanent prohibition on keeping animals, mandatory mental-health counseling, and full restitution for rescue and cleanup costs to affirm that Connecticut treats systemic cruelty as a serious crime.
PETITION LETTER:
Dear State’s Attorney Ferencek,
Police affidavits describe appalling conditions in two communities where dozens of dogs were allegedly left starving, dehydrated, and soaked in their own waste. One victim, a paralyzed pit bull called Little Squishy, reportedly arrived at rescue weighing a fraction of a healthy weight and too defeated even to lift his head. Another dog, Royal Blue, was likewise emaciated, according to veterinary records. Officers also documented rental homes so saturated with urine and feces that hazmat suits were required for weeks of remediation work.
The individual now charged faces more than 40 counts of animal cruelty plus related offenses, yet was released pending trial. Given the breadth and severity of the reported neglect—and the unresolved disappearance of a foster dog named Marshmallow—this case calls for the harshest penalties that Connecticut law allows. Prolonged, seemingly large-scale suffering cannot be dismissed as a mere lapse in judgment.
We respectfully urge your office to pursue every felony and misdemeanor count to the fullest extent, to seek a lifetime ban on animal ownership, a comprehensive psychological evaluation with mandated treatment, and restitution to rescues, veterinarians, and property owners. A decisive sentence will deliver justice for each four-legged victim and reinforce that systemic cruelty will never be tolerated in this state.
Sincerely,
[Your Name Here]
Photo credit: Michel Ethève
Sarah Smolak needs to be held accountable for these atrocities she has inflicted upon these animals. If she did not have the capacity to care for them ,she should have reached out to shelters. Maybe I am mistaken, perhaps she didn’t care. What was the reason(s) she was granted release? This situation needs to be taken with seriousness and not just a slap on the wrists. She may just do this again in another county or neighborhood
Lilypearl