iNDICA NEWS BUREAU-
A request to keep Indian-American Dr. Anita Damodaran in custody was denied after she allegedly abused her dog. The 38-year-old Chicago doctor was instructed to remain in Illinois and follow a 12-hour nightly curfew after her dog, a Portuguese water dog named Betty, was found malnourished and near death in March 2024.
Betty was discovered in a plastic storage bin in a bathtub by a cleaner hired for Damodaran’s apartment, which was being cleaned during an eviction, reports said.
One of the rescuers described finding Betty as “a matted creature staring at us in despair” when the lid of the bin popped off. The dog had visible injuries, including impact sores, urine burns, and matted fur, and was likely surviving on her own waste.
Damodaran, who faces animal cruelty charges, was arrested in Florida in December 2023 and extradited to Illinois. She will return to court on February 14.
At the time of her arrest, Chicago Police had issued a warrant for her. The Stray Rescue Foundation confirmed Betty had fully recovered and was placed in a new home.
Advocates in court disputed Damodaran’s claim that Betty was her parents’ dog and that she did not know the dog was in the bin.
Over 20 animal protection advocates gathered in Skokie to fight for justice for Betty, with one stating, as quoted by Fox 32 Chicago, “That is such a horrific act of cruelty, it can’t be forgotten.”
(Photo courtesy: x.com/HCSOSheriff)
