A 53-year-old Hurley woman is in the Ulster County Jail awaiting sentencing after pleading guilty to animal cruelty charges stemming from a 2022 investigation. Nicole Baggatta admitted in Ulster County Court on July 1 to two counts of torturing or injuring animals and failing to provide sustenance. Sentencing is scheduled for September 8.
Baggatta was originally charged in 2022 with 30 counts of animal cruelty and 30 counts of owning unlicensed dogs. The charges followed two search warrants executed at her Dewitt Mills Road residence on July 26 and August 25 of that year. Authorities seized a total of 43 Yorkie dogs living in unsanitary and harmful conditions. The animals suffered from malnourishment, improper grooming, and lacked adequate shelter, food, and water. On the first search, Baggatta surrendered the dogs voluntarily. During the second search, officials found additional dogs hidden in small wire cages buried under layers of clothing inside a closet.
After failing to appear in court, an arrest warrant was issued for Baggatta in February 2023. She evaded authorities for nearly two years before being apprehended on February 14, 2025. She has been held without bail in Ulster County Jail since her arrest.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Sohil Sharedalal, head of the county’s Animal Crimes Unit. Both Sharedalal and District Attorney Emmanuel Nneji emphasized the seriousness of animal cruelty and the county’s commitment to holding offenders accountable.
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