A 26-year-old woman accused of beating and kicking her dog at McDonald’s in Kailua-Kona has been freed on supervised release over the objection of prosecutors.
According to court records, Kona District Judge Kimberly Tsuchiya allowed Cora Mary Gibby, who gave police a Hilo address, to go free without posting cash bail on a charge of second-degree animal cruelty, a misdemeanor. Prosecutors had requested the judge maintain Gibby’s $1,000 bail.
The judge ordered Gibby to return to court May 6 for a preliminary hearing.
According to court documents filed by police, Gibby was arrested on April 10 at 11:35 a.m. after police responded to a report of a brown pit bull with white spots running loose in the Kona brewery block on Pawai Place in Kailua-Kona. About an hour-and-a-half later, police located the animal in the parking lot of O’Reilly Auto Parts on Palani Road.
The dog had a broken left front leg that it dragged on the ground and appeared malnourished and emaciated, according to the documents.
Animal Control was able to secure the dog and told officers they wanted to confiscate the dog due to neglect.
A kennel technician for Animal Control allegedly told police that while she was getting food from McDonald’s in the early evening of April 5, she saw Gibby dragging the dog by a T-shirt wrapped around its neck.
The witness also reportedly told officers Gibby began to beat the dog and yell at it to get up. After the dog complied, Gibby allegedly punched the dog on top of its back about three times with a closed left fist and then kicked the dog about four times in the rear thigh area.
Police were called, but Gibby reportedly refused to give up custody of the dog and said she was going to take the dog to the veterinarian the following day.
An Animal Control officer told police that Gibby told her the dog was hit by a car about two weeks earlier, causing the broken leg, according to the documents.
When Gibby — who has no prior felony convictions — was read her Miranda rights by a police officer on April 10, she elected not to make a statement.
Gibby also has a court date scheduled for April 30 on citations alleging that on Feb. 27, she allowed her dog to stray and did not have a leash, both violations.
Email John Burnett at jburnett@hawaiitribune-herald.com.
