Man who sued Boston, State Police after a city dog officer and troopers visited his apartment is charged with repeatedly abusing his pet

An East Boston man was arrested today on six counts of animal cruelty and six counts of animal cruelty by custodian, the Suffolk County District Attorney's office reports.

East Boston Municipal Court Judge Debra Delvecchio set bail of $100 for Armani Doshi, 27, then ordered him locked up for 60 days for violating his parole on an earlier case in which he is charged with threatening a judge in Chelsea District Court, the DA's office says.

In September, Doshi sued Boston Animal Care and Control, a specific Animal Care officer, State Police and the management company for his apartment in the Portside building on Lewis Street, charging that when the officer, accompanied by state troopers, came to his apartment to investigate his treatment of his then nine-month old German Shepherd, Savannah, it was all a ruse to make him pay for a dog license to make money for the city, and that the ACO and the troopers failed to look at the vaccination and vet records that he claimed were all the proof he needed to show that Savannah was healthy.

According to the DA's office:

On various dates in September through December, the Animal Rescue League of Boston, the Massachusetts State Police and Boston Animal Control received numerous reports regarding abuse and cruel treatment of the female German Shepherd by Doshi.

Witnesses reported multiple incidents of abuse that had taken place outside of an apartment complex. They reported hearing the dog crying throughout the day and reported Doshi walking the dog by holding her in a headlock, causing her to walk on just her hind legs. Others reported seeing Doshi lie on the dog’s neck when she barked in public spaces.

Maintenance in Doshi’s building reported observing bite marks on a door frame, wall, and inside of the door when they were asked to repair a closet in his apartment. The dog was often locked in the closet with no light, food or water.

Along with Doshi's arrest, the Animal Rescue League seized Savannah, the DA's office reports.

Doshi's filed his suit in Suffolk Superior Court by himself six days after the Sept. 11 visit to his apartment. Among other claims, he charged the visit violated the state's consumer-protection law because his visitors engaged in "unfair and deceptive practices," specifically, to force him to get a dog license "under duress."

In their answers, the animal control officer and state police have urged a judge to dismiss the case on several grounds, including a state law that bars suits against public employees doing their jobs and because, at least in the city's case, state law requires copies of lawsuits to be filed with a city attorney or city clerk and Doshi hand-delivered his complaint to the Animal Care and Control office at 1010 Massachusetts Ave., not the corporation counsel or city clerk's office in City Hall.

Innocent, etc.

Doshi's lawsuit complaint (247k PDF).
City's argument to dismiss suit (6.3M PDF).