New Bedford Man Convicted Retrial Beating Pit Bull With Bat

Gregory Ostiguy, a 57-year-old man from New Bedford, Massachusetts, was convicted of animal cruelty for beating his pit bull with a baseball bat after the dog ate his lunch. The conviction occurred on July 28, 2025, following a bench trial, and Ostiguy was sentenced to one year in the House of Correction, a sentence considered served due to his previous 2021 conviction for the same charge. The retrial was granted because the court determined he had not received a full explanation of his rights during the initial trial. Police responded to the incident in 2018 after reports of Ostiguy striking the dog, named Harley, who suffered a cheek laceration confirmed by a veterinarian to be from external trauma. After his 2021 conviction, Ostiguy was convicted and sentenced to three-and-a-half to seven years in state prison for threatening two probation officers. Bristol County District Attorney Thomas M. Quinn labeled Ostiguy's actions as outrageous and noted his history of violent conduct.