Former Portsmouth Resident Faces Animal Cruelty Charges

(Portsmouth, NH) - Portsmouth Police have arrested a former city resident on animal cruelty charges for leaving a dog in a locked car for several hours over the weekend.

21 year old Nakita Haller, a current resident of Portland, Maine, was arrested in Portsmouth Monday night.

The arrest stems from an incident reported to the Portsmouth Police Department on Saturday. At approximately 8:30 pm. witnesses, parking their vehicle in the Worth Parking Lot happened to notice a black lab barking in a nearby small car. Approximately an hour-and-a-half later they returned to find the dog was still in the car and was now whining and pacing. They called the Portsmouth Police Department.

Officers of the Portsmouth Police Department responded and attempted to locate the owner of the vehicle through multiple law enforcement databases but all efforts were unsuccessful. A Trooper with the K9 Division of the New Hampshire State Police responded.

Based on the Trooper’s expertise in canine physiology, it was determined the dog was not in immediate danger but the animal needed to be monitored for further signs of  stress. Throughout this call, officers never left the animal alone. Approximately 45 minutes later the decision was made to remove the dog because the animal began to demonstrate additional signs of stress and the interior of the vehicle itself was heating up as a result of the animal’s own energies.

An automotive locksmith was contacted and the dog was rescued without incident. The animal was immediately transported by police cruiser to a local emergency veterinary hospital located at 215 Commerce Way, Portsmouth, where veterinarians treated it for moderate dehydration.

Several hours later, the defendant, called the Portsmouth Police Department stating she was the caretaker of the dog and that she was in route to the hospital to cooperate with this investigation. She never showed up. The dog was transported and currently remains at the SPCA in Stratham, New Hampshire.

Investigation subsequent Nakita Haller’s arrest revealed the dog does not belong to her but belongs to her brother. The defendant refuses to identity her brother’s name or his whereabouts. It is certain that individual knows about this crime and has made no attempts to contact the Portsmouth Police, the SPCA or to cooperate with this investigation.

Based on these facts, this incident is still considered an active investigation and the animal’s owner is now being sought for questioning. The Portsmouth Police Department is requesting the public’s assistance with this investigation. Anyone with information regarding this case is asked to contact Officer Max Webber at the Portsmouth Police Department at (603) 610-7509.

You can also contact Seacoast Crime Stoppers by leaving an anonymous tip at (603) 431-1199 or at seacoastcrimestoppers.org. You can also text your tip to CRIMES (274637) with the letters  "TIPSCS"  and leave your tip that way. If your tip leads to an arrest or indictment of the individual you could receive a cash reward of up to $1,000.