Animal rights group asks why Norwalk man accused of shooting dog not charged with cruelty

Norwalk police say Jeffrey Vigil, a city man, is accused of shooting a pit bull during a domestic dispute on Old Saugatuck Road Wednesday evening. Courtesy of the Norwalk Police Department

Greenwich Time | by Peter Yankowski | Dec 12, 2025 | A Connecticut animal rights group is questioning why a man charged in a Norwalk domestic dispute, during which police said he shot a dog that bit him, is not facing animal cruelty charges. 

The man, 52-year-old Jeffrey Vigil, 52 is charged with criminal possession of a firearm, criminal violation of a restraining order and disorderly conduct.

The animal rights group, Desmond’s Army Animal Law Advocates, said it had "received reports" that the dog bit Vigil because it was "protecting the human survivor from the attacker."

"The alleged aggressor’s actions need to be weighed against the response of a loyal animal," Zilla Cannamela, the organization's president and co-founder, said in a statement.

Attempts to reach Vigil were unsuccessful.

Norwalk police did not immediately have comment when asked about Vigil not being charged with animal cruelty.

Cannamela also called for the state to reclassify pets as family, rather than property.