Crime & Safety
Massachusetts Man Faces Animal Cruelty Charges In Londonderry
Hermino Filomeno of Haverhill, MA, in jail on other charges, is accused of fracturing a dog's skull and slicing its head open on Ash Street.
LONDONDERRY, NH — Londonderry police have issued charges in an animal cruelty case after receiving a call from a Massachusetts veterinarian’s office.
Police were notified that a dog named “Odie” was brought to Bulger Veterinary Hospital in Lawrence, MA, by the dog owner for injuries received from a dog bite on May 8, 2020.
A veterinarian contacted police after her treatment of Odie showed injuries not consistent with a dog fight or dog bite.
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In an interview by Londonderry police in August 2020, the doctor described the injury as “a large laceration across the head. This laceration started at the temple region down towards the right eye. The laceration was a clean cut with no swelling or bruising around the outer edges of the laceration.” She described a grove on the skill that was linear and a small circular fracture of the skull.
The doctor noted that she examined for additional signs of a dog fight.
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“Odie did not have additional injuries to the lower part of the head consistent with a dog bite,” she said. “Odie also had no additional injuries on his body, consistent with being involved in a dog fight.”
Based on her training and experience, “she was confident the injury was not caused by a dog bite and certain it was sustained using a sharp lethal cutting instrument.”
Londonderry police began an investigation and contacted the owners of Odie, who reside on Ash Street. It was learned that the owner has two dogs Odie and another dog named Diesel.
The owners told police that on May 8, 2020, they were outside of their residence while Herminio Filomeno, 35, of Granite Street in Haverhill, MA, was with their dogs.
Filomeno was accused of informing the owners he wanted to speak to them about “how to discipline Odie.” When the owners entered the residence, they found Filomeno holding a bloody towel wrapped around the top of Odie’s head, a report stated. Filomeno’s explanation for the injury was he separated the dogs from fighting over food, according to the court paperwork.
Filomeno explained the injury to the owners was caused when he helped pull the dogs apart from fighting, a report stated. In an interview with police, the owners said Diesel was laying calm on the bed. Diesel did not have any injuries or saliva on his body and no evidence to corroborate a dog fight. At this point, the owner took Odie to Bulger Veterinary Hospital.
On Aug. 27, 2020, Londonderry police scheduled an interview with Filomeno, who was incarcerated on unrelated charges in Essex County. After reading him his Miranda rights, Filomeno invoked the right to remain silent.
Londonderry police issued a warrant against Filomeno for felony cruelty to animals; purposeful and misdemeanor cruelty to animals; negligent. A Rockingham County Grand Jury issued an indictment on the felony charge, accusing Filomeno of purposely mutilating the dog by stabbing it in the head with a sharp metal tool, resulting in a large laceration. When Filomeno is released from an Essex County Jail, he will be arrested.
Photos from the Veterinarian's office were provided to police and were included in the report. Due to the photos being extremely graphic the photos are not included.
No booking photo was available, as Filomeno has not been arrested in New Hampshire at post time.