Missing Persons singer Dale Bozzio is sitting in an Ossipee, New Hampshire, jail after dropping her appeal of a March animal-cruelty conviction.Bozzio was originally hit with 13 animal-cruelty charges, which stemmed from her failed attempt to "save" feral and sick cats from the New Hampshire woods. Two cats were found dead and 12 were put down following an indeterminable period of neglect that came to a head while Bozzio was away on tour last fall. She was found guilty of one count.
Last Thursday, I found Bozzio in a Zen-like calm as she waited in the Ossipee court with her lawyer and her husband. Known for such happy-go-lucky songs as "Walkin' in LA" and "Destination Unknown," the singer was positive that she would be just fine. (I've covered this strange saga for nearly a year, and when she saw me, Bozzio hugged me, blessed me, and told me "I respect you" before surrendering to the house of correction.)
When Bozzio requested imposition of sentencing on November 10, she was already facing the consequences of a bail violation. According to court documents, Carroll County prosecutor Stephen Murray called the Los Angeles Police Department's Animal Cruelty Task Force on October 5 with concerns that Bozzio had been keeping pets against court orders.
Three days later, Bozzio admitted to LAPD officer Kim Lormans that she had two cats and two dogs in her rented Reseda, California, home but would not allow police inside. "Throughout the conversation, Bozzio appeared nervous and chattered nonstop," Lormans stated in an affidavit. "Bozzio insisted a judge in New Hampshire gave her permission to leave the state and to have animals."
Bozzio was sentenced in May to 90 days in jail with 60 days deferred for two years, plus 250 hours of community service, and ordered to pay a $2700 euthanization bill. That sentence has now been imposed.
With good behavior, Bozzio could serve as few as 20 days. But the financially struggling star's troubles will unquestionably continue upon her release. Her Reseda landlord, Marlon Polanco, tells us he will take legal action over skipped rent payments and at least $3600 in cat-related damage.
Meanwhile, Bozzio has set music aside in favor of another unlikely passion — food. She has set up a Web site and Twitter account for Consalvi Foods, a line of Italian gourmet products and organic wines that she promoted in Chicago en route to New Hampshire. And, yes, they are intended for human consumption.
