CONVICTED: Was justice served?
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Case #11159 Rating: 1.0 out of 5
Chained dogs neglected, embedded collars
Warwick, NY (US)Incident Date: Tuesday, Jan 31, 2006
County: Orange
Disposition: Convicted
Defendant/Suspect: 17 year old male
If you own a home, plus a couple of Mercedes Benz automobiles and can afford vacations to the Islands, why wouldn't you be able to responsibly care for two elderly dogs?
That's the question that puzzles Suzyn Barron, president of the Warwick Valley Humane Society.
On Feb. 17, 2006, an anonymous caller reported what he or she believed to be a case of animal cruelty to the Humane Society, which has a special confidential complaint line reserved for this purpose.
When Animal Control Officers and a Warwick Police Officer responded to an address at Brook Trail, they found two dogs tied under the rear of the house living in unsanitary conditions without proper shelter or water. The dogs were later identified as "Amazonia," a yellow Labrador mixed breed, and "Pura," a black Shepherd mixed breed, both 15 years old.
"When we entered the area," said Barron, "the odor would have knocked you off your feet."
What Barron was describing was the smell of decaying flesh.
The choke chain on "Pura," an unusual means of restraint under any circumstances, was so deeply imbedded around her entire neck that the jugular vein was exposed. And to make matters worse, reported Barron, the two dogs were bleeding and both had visible scars from the same abuse at an earlier time.
Both dogs were living in squalor without proper housing, bedding or even water. And the temperature was below freezing.
Pura, the black long-haired dog, lying almost motionless and near death, had the more serious injuries. Her hair was matted but her biggest problem was the imbedded chain.
Soon after Warwick Town Justice Peter Barlet issued an "order to seize" warrant, the Animal Control Officers rushed the dogs to the veterinarian. It took two hours to remove the imbedded chain from Pura's neck and, because of her severely weakened condition, the doctor could not administer any anesthesia.
"We were told that without this medical attention," said Barron," she wouldn't have lived more than 24 hours."
The family that owned Amazonia and Pura officially surrendered the abused dogs to the Warwick Valley Humane Society on the next day. Their excuse was that the lady of the house was disabled; her husband was away all day at work and the responsibility for the care of the animals was left to their son, age 17.
Barron reported that the teenager, who has the benefit of youthful offender status, recently accepted a guilty plea to a misdemeanor in exchange for his father not being charged. He will be sentenced following a pre-sentence investigation. Warwick Judge Coleman also ordered full restitution in the amount of $1,060 for veterinary expenses.
"The punishment can never fit the crime when it comes to animal cruelty cases," said Barron. "I think I feel this way because we are on the front lines and see the pain and suffering up close."
She explained that the legal aspects of a cruelty case are left to the Police and the District Attorney's office.
"The role of the humane society," added Barron, "is to alleviate an animal's suffering and hopefully provide a better future. The shelter staff is to be commended for the excellent care and love they all showered on these two sweet dogs during their recovery."
The good news is that a kind person has adopted both dogs into a safe and loving home. References« NY State Animal Cruelty Map
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