Official: 3 dogs found dead in city

BRIDGEPORT — Two people were arrested Tuesday after police and firefighters found the remains of three dogs and two malnourished canines behind a Wayne Street house, officials said.

According to Scott Appleby, the city’s director of emergency communications and emergency management, the Bridgeport ECC received a call reporting a fire with heavy black smoke in the 600 block of Wayne Street around 7:15 p.m. Tuesday.

The caller indicated that it seemed the fire was in the backyard area and possibly a shed, Appleby said.

The first arriving Bridgeport fire units reported a shed fire and then requested police assistance “due to individuals on scene threatening them,” Appleby said.

When they arrived, police officers observed David Valle, of Bridgeport, “visibly upset with the presence of fire units and police on the property,” Appleby said.

Another person at the scene, Sherry Yasin, of Kissimmee, Fla., “began to interfere with police officers and the fire inspector from gaining access to the rear yard area to assess and extinguish the fire,” Appleby said.

Appleby said police observed two dogs that were “malnourished” and “visibly cold.” Appleby said one of the dogs was on a back deck “with no water or blankets” and the other “was in a cage with feces.”

Appleby said the officers and the fire inspector then discovered the remains of three other dogs.

Valle, 38. was arrested and charged with two counts of cruelty to animals, reckless burning, interfering with police/ resisting arrest, breach of peace and threatening. He was held on $20,000 bond.

Yasin, 39, was charged with interfering with police/resisting arrest. She was released on a promise to appear in court.