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Case #7132 Rating: 1.0 out of 5
Dog kept in cage, starved to death
Northport, NY (US)Incident Date: Saturday, Jan 28, 2006
County: Suffolk
Charges: Felony CTA
Disposition: Convicted
Defendant/Suspect: Jason Griffin
Case Updates: 3 update(s) available
A Long Island man has been charged with starving his daughter's dog to death, Suffolk County police said. Jason Griffin, 27, of Northport, was charged with aggravated cruelty to animals, police said.
Police said officers and the SPCA went to Griffin's house on Jan 28, 2006 after receiving a report of a dead dog. Officers found the emaciated remains of a Labrador retriever-pit bull mix that had been adopted from the Brookhaven Animals Shelter last year.
Griffin said he bought the dog for his 7-year-old daughter. The animal was kept in a cage in their apartment.
Police said they delayed the arrest because Griffin and his daughter were on a five-day vacation to Disney World in Florida and returned on Monday.
Police notified Suffolk Child Protective Services of the conditions in the apartment, and the girl was put in the custody of her paternal grandparents.
Case UpdatesJason Griffin, 27, of Northport, pleaded guilty March 10, 2006 to aggravated cruelty to animals and will spend a year in jail as a result.
Police said the emaciated dog had been without food and water for weeks at the 2 Fox Hollow Ridings Court home, where Griffin lived with his daughter in a basement apartment, police said.
The dog had lost at least 50 pounds and shed most of its hair, which was scattered about the cage and closet. It died lying in feces and urine.
"This is an extremely egregious act of animal cruelty," said Sgt. Robert Aversano of the Suffolk County Society For The Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, which worked with police in the investigation. "This dog was starved to death in the closet."
The homeowner, Gerold Roberts, who suffers from a degenerative muscle disorder, found the dog dead in a closet Saturday with his full-time aide and physical therapist.
Roberts, who was unaware the dog was in a closet, called police, said his attorney, Leonard J. Shore of Commack. Roberts thought the dog was being cared for by a neighbor while Griffin was away, Shore said.
"He [Roberts] was upset about the situation," Shore said.
Griffin lived in the basement in Roberts' home for two years. Griffin helped clean and cook for Roberts, Shore said. In return, Roberts allowed Griffin to live with him rent-free.
After Griffin's arrest, police placed his daughter in her grandparents' custody and reported the incident to the county Department of Social Services. | Source: NY Newsday - March 10, 2006
Update posted on Mar 12, 2006 - 5:33PM |
| "This dog had been locked in there for weeks, and possibly even longer," Suffolk Assistant District Attorney Glenn Kurtzrock said, moments before Jason Griffin, 27, was arraigned in a Riverhead courtroom. Griffin pleaded not guilty to one count of aggravated cruelty to animals, and was held on $20,000 cash bail or $50,000 bond. If convicted, Griffin could be sentenced to a maximum of 2 years in prison. Prosecutors said they want to be sure Griffin serves time in jail. "Even though it's not a human being ... it's still a living creature, and it clearly suffered horribly before it died," Kurtzrock said. | Source: Newsday News - February 18, 2006
Update posted on Feb 26, 2006 - 2:12AM |
Wearing a gray sweatshirt, blue jeans and sporting a shaved head, Griffin got choked up and teary-eyed at his arraignment in 1st District Court in Central Islip. Spectators in the courtroom quietly heckled Griffin as he tried to explain himself to the judge. "Look at him, he's crying," one man said of Griffin, who pleaded not guilty. "He'll be crying in Riverhead, too."
Griffin's mother ran out of the courtroom in tears after bail was set at $20,000 cash or $60,000 bond. "He wasn't a tenant. Tenants pay rent," the source said of Griffin, adding that the homeowner, whose wife died in 2000, had a soft spot for the smooth-talking father. "He's got a sugar-coated tongue."
Griffin's daughter is in the custody of his parents. | Source: NY Daily News - February 1, 2006
Update posted on Feb 12, 2006 - 1:35PM |
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