Webster man arrested for animal cruelty, fundraiser launched for dog

Webster police arrested a man on Wednesday for allegedly abusing two dogs, police said.

Cordell Gignilliat, 26, is charged with three counts of animal cruelty, the police department said in a statement. Court documents say each count carries a maximum sentence of seven years in prison.

Court documents show that police first went to Gignilliat's home on June 10 after a neighbor across the street allegedly heard someone beating a dog. Officers conducted an investigation and found that Gignilliat had allegedly abused two dogs in his care, according to a police report. The report states that Gignilliat hit, kicked, yelled at and threatened the two dogs multiple times over the course of several different incidents.

One of the dogs, Ziggy, suffered “serious health problems” due to the alleged mistreatment, the Webster police statement said. Ziggy's treatment will likely cost around $6,000, which would “cripple” the budget of Webster Animal Control, the agency said.

“We hope that Ziggy can recover, but we are aware of the high costs involved and Ziggy's future is uncertain,” the statement said.

Webster Animal Control said they were unable to create a GoFundMe campaign, but asked that anyone wishing to donate please make a check or money order payable to “the City of Webster” with “Animal Control” marked.

However, a Webster resident set up a GoFundMe campaign to help cover the cost of Ziggy's medical care. As of Sunday evening, the GoFundMe campaign had raised more than double its original goal of $6,000.

Any funds remaining after Ziggy's treatment will go to other animals in need, Webster Animal Control said in a social media post.

Webster Police urged anyone with knowledge of animal cruelty to contact them at 508-943-1212.