Cheshire Police Officer Ordered to Return Dog to Owners

This article first appeared on Cheshire Patch.

A brief appearance Wednesday by officer Thomas Wright in Waterbury Superior Court ended with the patrolman being ordered to return a dog he's had for nearly two years to its owners.

Judge Richard A. Damiani continued Wright's case until until Nov. 8 after the officer pleaded not guilty to charges of stealing a dog, obstructing an animal control officer and fourth-degree larceny.

The dog's owners, Lisa and Jose Queiros of Naugatuck filed a complaint on Oct. 6 stating they believed Wright, and his wife Dawn, also 39, have the Queiros' black pug dog named Dallas.

The complaint states that the dog escaped from the Queiros' backyard on January 26, 2010. Lisa Queiros told police that after immediatley looking for the dog in the neighborhood, she called the Naugatuck Animal Shelter to report it missing. The dog was not at the shelter and could not be found, Lisa Queiros stated.

Queiros recently reported to police that in September, 2011 she happened to see a photo of her dog that was from a fire that occured in March, 2011.

Upon seeing the photo, Queiros called the animal shelter to report she had located her dog. She was told the issue seemed to be a civil matter.

The issue became a criminal matter, according to the arrest warrant, when Wright on Sept. 30 refused to allow the Naugatuck Police Department to scan a microchip that was imbedded in the dog to establish ownership. "Mr. Wright stated that he believed this is a civil issue," the warrant states.

The warrant dismisses a claim by Wright that he called animal control in Jan. 2010 to report a missing dog. It further dismisses a statment from Wright that he posted flyers about the missing dog in the neighborhood.

Naugatuck Police Sgt. Randy Ireland wrote in the arrest warrant that the Wright's former home on Allerton Road is about 50 yards away from the Queiros' home. The Wrights moved from the house on Allerton Road after the fire in March, taking the dog with them.

The Queiros' dog was purchased in 2007 for over $1,300 from a Naugatuck pet center, according to the warrant.

Wright has worked for the Cheshire Police Department for about eight years.

He was placed on administrative duties last week after the arrest warrant was issued. Wright could not immediately be reached for comment on Wednesday.

The arrest warrant can be read in the .