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Cat Cruelty Incident Followup

Last year, Gothamist reported on a Bay Ridge bike messenger who was arrested for animal cruelty, after beating and torturing his fiancee's cat to death. Yesterday, James Whalen was sentenced to five years probation, plus continued treatment in alcohol abuse and anger management programs, instead of going to jail. Gothamist hopes that Whalen is truly sorry, and we hope that people realize that abusing animals is a punishable crime. Whalen also said that his relationship with his fiancee deteriorated after he killed her cat, and their wedding was called off; he said that she didn't want anything else to do with him, which really isn't that surprising since he KILLED her cat.

Animal Precinct has a Q&A with Dale Riedel, the Vice-President of the ASPCA's Humane Law Enforcement, that gives a good idea of how the ASPCA works in NYC. He mentions a story about an alligator that was a building super's pet, but a tenant filed a complaint as it's illegal to have an alligator as a pet.

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Comments [rss]

  • Rose

    I often lay awake at night wondering about where all the piss coming out of dogs goes in Manhattan. And when I'm watching a PBS show about fabulous looking European cities with stunning architecture and beautiful vistas I wonder what their sewer system is like because they must have one. Where does it all go?

  • SP

    wouldnt it be awesome if dogs were banned from the city?

  • bojangles

    SP,

    Dude, seriously, have you ever owned a dog? Or walked one, once in your life? You can't TELL a dog where to pee, it see something it likes, it pees on it. When you get a dog, you can pick it up every time it starts to piss and drag it to the gutter.

    Anyway, unless you put your face on the ground, there's no way to distinguish dog piss from any of the other substances on the sidewalk.

  • spence

    That guy killing the cat is a big sissy.

    At least pick on a cat in your weight class, like a Mountain Lion or something. -Or go piss off a wolf.

    - Infuriating!!!!!



  • Kojak

    No.

    I’m not going to make an effort to make my dog piss in the gutter. If a dog takes a leak in from of your place of residence, and it happens to be a nasty concentrated piss that smells to high heaven, then that’s life, and you’re going to have to deal with it. This is when a garden hose comes in handy. Maybe you should start saving up for one.

    You can equate dog pissing on the streets with guys pissing on the streets any day. But one is more socially acceptable then the other, and for good reason. There aren’t that many places dogs can piss in NY. There are parks and all, but when you just want to take the dog for a quick walk around the park, what can you do? Restrict the poor lass to a GUTTER? How inhumane. Most of you people keep your dogs locked up in your small ass apartments in the city. They don’t have the luxuries we do! Having pets piss wherever they want is a small price to pay for their happiness.

    Perhaps you should have yourself neutered as well, and become one with our K-9 friends and see how THEY feel.

  • SP

    piss is piss, doesnt matter what it comes out of. dog piss is just as smelly and unsanitary as human piss. the least you could do is make an effort to direct it towards the gutter as opposed to just letting it happen all over the place, like in front of peoples buildings, stores, etc. and, btw, i am in favor of euthanasia you moron.

  • Kojak

    We're talking about Pets SP not Humans.

    So your pissed animals don’t get the same treatment as humans when it comes to urination on city streets??

    Ok that’s fair. Arrest the dogs for pissing in public too. And next time your stricken with an illness don't worry about any expensive medicine or surgery. We can just put you to sleep! It'll save your insurance company a lot of money AND save your family and friends the grief of watching you suffer. Sounds reasonable to me.

  • SP

    I would love to take a piss on your front steps.

  • Kojak

    I shall walk my dog where I please. And if my dog wants to take a wizz on the curb, tree, sidewalk, or wherever she feels, it’s her prerogative.

    Who am I to get in the way of her happiness?

    The only thing I will do is pick up her crap if she drops a deuce somewhere inappropriate.

  • SP

    I'm all for animal rights, but I dont understand why dogs get to piss on the sidewalk, wherever they want to, but if I try that I'm liable to be arrested. Dog owners, make your dogs pee off the sidewalk, in the gutter, goddamit. You are fucking disgusting.

  • The other day I saw an ASPCA squad car barrelling down Amsterdam with its sirens on. Never seen that before.

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