WAREHAM — Plymouth County District Attorney Tim Cruz’s office was granted a motion to obtain veterinary records in the case of Kimberly Savino, the Middleboro woman facing 20 counts of animal cruelty for allegedly keeping animals without food or water.

The motion was granted during a pre-trial conference Tuesday, Dec. 10 at Wareham District Court.

Savino is scheduled to return to court Feb. 3, 2025.

She was arraigned Nov. 7 following the execution of a warrant Oct. 18 at a home at 53 Precinct St. 

Animal Control officers subsequently found 20 animals, including 17 dogs and two cats in crates in the basement, according to police reports, where “the smell of feces became very strong.’’

Most of the animals appeared emaciated, the police report stated.

One dog was breathing, but unresponsive and unable to move, according to the police report.

The dog was transported to Chase Veterinary Clinic to be evaluated. The remainder of the dogs were taken by MSPCA-Angell in Boston. They have since been returned to the care of Middleboro animal control and were made available for adoption. 

A separate investigation by the MSPCA found six horses on the property, knee deep in mud, official reports stated. The horses lacked adequate nutrition and showed signs of rain rot, a bacterial skin infection caused by exposure to moisture. 

At her arraignment, Savino was released on personal recognizance, with the condition that she have no contact with animals other than dogs owned by her parents, who she said she helps care for. 

This is not the first time Savino has faced animal cruelty charges. In 2014, she was charged in Michigan with animal cruelty, in a case that also involved dogs, according to court State’s attorney Nicole Piacentini.