Case Details
Case Snapshot
Case ID: 7011
Classification: Throwing, Neglect / Abandonment
Animal: dog (non pit-bull)
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Case #7011 Rating: 3.0 out of 5



Puppy mill puppies thrown from moving vehicle
Rochester, NY (US)

Incident Date: Monday, Jan 23, 2006
County: Monroe

Disposition: Convicted
Case Images: 1 files available

Defendants/Suspects:
» Warren Thomas, Sr - Alleged
» Laurie J. Lerkins

Case Updates: 6 update(s) available

The Genesee County Sheriff's Department is investigating an unthinkable case of animal abuse. They believe someone threw three puppies from a moving car.

The five week old puppies were found miles apart on West Bergen Road on the afternoon of Jan 23, 2006. Passersby picked them up and took two of them to the animal shelter. The third pup appeared to be injured so it was taken to a local veterinarian.

The shelter will keep the pups for five days to make sure they're physically and emotionally healthy before they're put up for adoption.

For more information on the puppies, call the Genesee County animal shelter at (585) 343-6410 or click on the link.


Case Updates

A year in jail is the sentence for a Genesee County woman who admitted to abandoning puppies in Leroy, Genesee County.

Laurie Lerkins, 28, of Leroy, learned her sentence on May 15, 2006. Lerkins pleaded guilty to one count of animal cruelty and one count of animal abandonment. Police say Lerkins left the puppies along West Bergen Road and Griswold Road. Three of the dogs died from the Parvo virus
Source: R News - May 15, 2006
Update posted on May 15, 2006 - 8:03PM 
Laurie J. Lerkins pleaded guilty before Town Justice Kermit Arrington to misdemeanor animal cruelty and animal abandonment.

Free on $2,000 bail pending her May 1 sentencing, Lerkins, 28, of Bacon Street, Le Roy might face a a year in jail, but she could be placed on probation. Arrington made no sentencing commitment.
Source: Buffalo News - March 1, 2006
Update posted on Mar 6, 2006 - 12:11PM 
The owner of a now-closed Rochester pet shop pleaded not guilty Friday to four misdemeanor counts of selling or offering to sell animals exposed to disease.

Warren Thomas, 30, of 196 Normandy Ave. was charged after animal cruelty investigators from the Humane Society of Rochester and Monroe County removed 18 puppies from a Lincoln Street warehouse where he operated Happy Pups.

At least two of the puppies suffered from canine parvovirus, a contagious and deadly illness that strikes puppies.

Officials claim Thomas advertised in several counties to find good homes for puppies, then sold them for hundreds of dollars. Prosecutors say he has since surrendered his dealer's license.

He's due again in court March 15 for a pretrial conference.
Source: Democrat & Chronicle - Feb 11, 2006
Update posted on Feb 11, 2006 - 9:54AM 
The Fairport-based Humane Society at Lollypop Farm said Warren Thomas, 30, the owner of the now closed Happy Pups kennel on Lincoln Avenue, was arrested by humane society animal cruelty investigators.

Humane Society investigators seized 18 puppies from Happy Pups on Jan. 30. Two of the puppies were diagnosed with the parvo virus; one dog died.

On Tuesday, Laurie J. Lerkins, 28, of Le Roy was charged with 10 counts of animal cruelty and animal abandonment for allegedly dropping 10 puppies along West Bergen and Griswold roads in Le Roy on Jan. 23. Those puppies came from Happy Pups, Genesee County sheriff's officials reported.

Thomas is scheduled to appear Feb. 10 in Rochester City Court on the single misdemeanor charge, which carries a year in jail or a $1,000 fine.
Source: The Buffalo News - Feb 3, 2006
Update posted on Feb 3, 2006 - 9:37AM 
Officials charged a volunteer with 10 counts of animal cruelty for the abandoned pups-beside-the-road incident in Genesee County last week. Now, investigators have raided a warehouse in Rochester, and as a result, 18 more pups were confiscated and quarantined.

They found six different litters housed in boxed-off areas-all kept separate. The makeshift kennels were clean and there were bottles of bleach and rubber gloves.

Investigators say the cases are connected. They raided Happypups on Lincoln Avenue after getting complaints against owner Warren Thomas.

The question is whether Thomas knew the animals he sold had been exposed to Parvo virus. Investigators suspect he did know--because the pups dumped in Genesee County had the same virus--and also came from Happypups. Happypups sells rescued puppies no one else wants.

Thomas told police he paid volunteer Laurie Jenkins to take six infected pups and have them put to sleep. She was charged with 10 counts of animal cruelty.

Investigators said Thomas has a history of leaving sick animals at shelters. As the investigation continues, the pups will remain isolated and closely watched.

Thomas has not been charged.

Laurie Lerkins has pleaded "not guilty" to the 10 counts of animal cruelty.
Source: WHAM - Jan 31, 2006
Update posted on Jan 31, 2006 - 6:10PM 
Two of seven puppies abandoned along a western New York road have died. Three Lab-mix puppies were found Monday at intervals along a road west of Rochester. The next day, four other puppies were found in the same area.

Sheriff's deputies said the pups may have been placed in a box and tossed from a moving car.

Of the seven puppies found, two have died at an animal shelter from the parvo virus. The others are being cared for at animal hospitals.

News stories about the abandoned dogs have prompted numerous calls from people wanting to adopt them. The Genesee County Animal Shelter is no longer accepting adoption applications because of the flood of calls.

Police continue to look for the person who dumped the puppies along the road.
Source: KCCI - Jan 26, 2006
Update posted on Jan 26, 2006 - 10:15PM 

References

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