Connecticut Woman Arrested Over Death of Famous Poker Player’s Dog

Posted on: September 12, 2024, 09:10h. 

Last updated on: September 12, 2024, 10:15h.

Philip Conneller @casinoorgphilc Read More
Expertise: Gaming Business, Regulation, Tribal Gaming.

Authorities in Connecticut have arrested a 64-year-old woman in connection with the death of poker player Bart Hanson’s dog.

Jacqueline Witt, Bart Hanson, Josephine Ragland
Jacqueline Witt, above, is the mother of Josephine Ragland who took the Hanson family’s dog, Charlie, on a two-week training course last year. It was the last time they saw their pet. (Image: Connecticut State Police)

Jacqueline Witt is charged with four misdemeanor counts of animal cruelty and one felony count of tampering with evidence after she dumped the body of three-and-a-half-year-old French bulldog, Charlie, on the side of the road in September 2023.

Witt is the mother of Josephine Ragland, 28, a “dog trainer” in whose care the Hanson family left Charlie.

The family wanted someone to teach their dog some basic commands and they found Ragland’s small private trainer business, Everything Animals, on Thumbtack, the home services directory app.

Using the false name “Lilly,” Ragland picked Charlie up on September 1 for a two-week boarding program. For the next two weeks, she reassured the Hansons by sending a steady stream of images and short videos of their dog, which was probably already dead.

Heatstroke

Detectives later determined that Charlie had died just three to five days into his stay. The dog had been kept in a crate and given no food or water. Charlie most likely died of heatstroke, according to police.

On the day she was to return Charlie, Ragland texted Hanson claiming her car had broken down and the dog had somehow escaped and been hit by another vehicle. She said she had buried Charlie in her backyard.

Police found Charlie’s body in Norwich, Conn., more than 35 minutes from Ragland’s home, where it had been dumped by Witt.  

In police interviews, Ragland eventually admitted that she had gone on a casino bender for several days after picking up the dog.

She was charged with larceny in Massachusetts, where the Hansons live, and is scheduled to go to trial in November. She also faces larceny charges in California over the death of another dog in that state.

California Case

Scott, a seven-year-old German Shepherd, was signed up for one of Ragland’s two-week training courses in December 2022.

Scott’s owner, Carolina Bruchilari, said that on the day Ragland was supposed to return her dog, she turned up with a completely different German Shepherd. The substitute animal was aggressive and clearly didn’t recognize the Bruchilari family.

Eventually, Ragland claimed Scott had jumped through a glass window in the middle of the night while in the care of another dog trainer and was “definitely dead.”

Hanson, a well-known poker player and coach with more than $1 million in tournament winnings, said that Ragland’s business had five-star reviews on Thumbtack, despite numerous dog owners getting stung by her training scam. He wants to publicize the discrepancy so that others might be spared the pain of losing a pet.

Witt is due in court on September 19.