A Mesa woman, Brook Scalero, 42, is facing multiple charges of animal cruelty after allegations surfaced that she tortured and killed several dogs, Mesa Police have revealed; her arrest last week has sparked widespread condemnation. According to a report by FOX 10 Phoenix, this gruesome discovery came to light through a journal belonging to Scalero, which depicted the torture and death of her roommate's dog, among other animals.
The journal, which was abandoned along with other personal items after Scalero was evicted from her apartment, contained Scalero's contact information, and detailed the abuse of 12 dogs and the killing of five; its existence first became known when her former roommate turned it over to the police, following the death of Gus, their dog, under Scalero's care—a case that the AZ Family described as heart-rending. Notably, one of the dogs mentioned in the journal was a 3-year-old Maltese mix named Pepe, obtained from Paws Fur the Cause, who was later found dead and confirmed through a microchip to be a victim of Scalero's purported actions. Scalero initially claimed the accounts in the journal were merely "creative writings" when police asked about the notebook during an arrest on unrelated charges.
The journal also included a passage about the physical abuse of a 14-month-old baby, however, details surrounding this claim remain unclear. The Mesa Police also responded to an incident at the VCA Animal Hospital on October 5 where they found another dead dog, registered to Scalero and with injuries consistent with animal abuse, named Griffin.
Community members are outraged by the allegations, with Sydney Pileggi finding Pepe's body after reading a disturbing diary posted on social media. "It was very sad. The whole story is heart-wrenching," Pileggi told AZ Family. After further questioning, Scalero confessed to her role in the deaths of the dogs. She now faces two felony counts of animal cruelty and one misdemeanor count of theft, according to authorities.
