Twenty-four years ago, Christopher Devito, formerly of Newton, was sentenced to two to five years in state prison after pleading guilty to 23 animal cruelty charges related to the dogs he had been raising and training at his luxury property for the purpose of organized fighting. In addition to his sentence in state prison, Devito’s property, cash and other assets were seized by federal authorities. Dozens of people gathered at the Rockingham County Courthouse in Brentwood on opening day of the Devito trial to urge the state to prosecute this horrific case of animal cruelty rigorously.
Sadly, when the case concluded, it was determined that the dogs could not be rehabilitated after years of torture and abuse — all of them were euthanized. The Superior Court judge who presided over the case, the Honorable Gillian Abramson, said that Devito was the most publicly reviled defendant she had ever had in her courtroom.
Five years ago, another animal fighting case in Rockingham County mysteriously disappeared. On Feb. 6, the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the New Hampshire District issued a press release concerning a case in Chester in which hundreds of roosters and other birds were raised and trained for the purpose of organized fighting in a multi-state ring, as reported in the Monitor on Feb. 10.
The case began in 2020, with complaints from neighbors about suspicious activity and constant noise at the property. The U.S. Attorney’s Office press release stated that one of the residents at the property pleaded guilty in 2025 to one federal misdemeanor charge of Attending an Animal Fighting Venture, and was sentenced to one year of probation and fines of about $2,500. The press release also stated that the NH Fish & Game Department Law Enforcement Division, state police and the Chester Police Department provided “valuable assistance” in the case.
The report of the Chester Police Department on this case identifies the offense as a violation of RSA 644: 8, III-a, purposeful cruelty to animals, a Class B felony. It is not known why the Chester Police report did not cite RSA 644:8-a, Exhibitions of Fighting Animals, as the applicable offense, which explicitly states that anyone who raises or trains animals or birds for the purpose of fighting is guilty of a Class B felony, with additional felony charges possible for possession of animal fighting paraphernalia. A search warrant was executed at the Chester property on March 4, 2021, by the Chester Police Department and other involved agencies. The final statement from the Chester Police Department report is as follows: “It was decided that this case would remain with USDA (agent Bishop) for federal prosecution.” No explanation is provided as to who made that decision or why.
In response to Right-to-Know requests the state police and NH Fish & Game Department both stated that they had no records related to the valuable assistance they provided to the USDA in this case, which is quite puzzling. Investigative records of open cases are exempt from the Right-to-Know law, but responding agencies must cite that specific exemption in denying a request. No such exemption was cited by state police or Fish & Game in response to requests related to the rooster fighting case in Chester.
Typically in New Hampshire, felony cases are prosecuted by the county attorney’s office. In response to a Right-to-Know request, the Rockingham County Attorney’s office stated that it was not involved in this case, as the case was referred to the U.S. Attorney’s office for federal prosecution. No explanation was provided as to who made that decision or why.
This multiple-felony case involving hundreds of victims of animal cruelty should have been prosecuted through the New Hampshire state court system, in addition to applicable federal charges. Citizens of New Hampshire who care about animals deserve a truthful explanation of why that has not happened.
It is exceedingly difficult to pass animal protection legislation in New Hampshire, but in response to the unique brutality of training animals for organized fighting, lawmakers on both sides of the aisle worked together to send a clear message through RSA 644:8-a that bloodsports will not be tolerated in our state.
The time and passion invested by lawmakers and citizen advocates in efforts to protect animals makes no difference, though, if New Hampshire law enforcement agencies and prosecutors refuse to do their jobs. The blood of hundreds of innocent animals, cruely tortured at a property in Chester, is on their hands.
Jean Slepian lives in Stoddard.