Results tagged “animalcruelty”

A judge overthrew a plea deal offered to suspected feline arsonist Cheyenne Cherry yesterday, potentially extending the prison sentence for the 17-year-old who is accused of killing a kitten by baking it in a 500-degree oven. According to the Post, "Judge Margaret Clancy, who had earlier approved the plea deal, said 'nobody realized' at the time that reducing a violent felony charge to a nonviolent charge was illegal."

Yesterday the Farm Sanctuary aided in the rescue of a chicken that would have otherwise been part of the sacrificial slaughter during the Jewish ritual of kaparot. They tell us the chicken was saved in Crown Heights, and later named Chesed, meaning mercy or loving-kindness in Hebrew. He joined the over 200 other NYC chickens the organization has rescued from this ritual over the past three years.

With Yom Kippur coming up this Monday, South Williamsburg will be the stage for many a sacrificial chicken slaughter on Sunday. The Jewish ritual known as kapparot raises eyebrows each year, and now Dr. Allan Kornberg, Executive Director for Farm Sanctuary, has released a statement.

The ASPCA says it used Facebook to find a man accused of breaking a Yorkshire terrier's leg. Yesterday, the Post reported that Donnell Walters, 22, "was busted yesterday for allegedly taking the tiny Yorkshire terrier he'd given his boyfriend as an engagement gift and smashing her down until he'd shattered her leg." Wlaters and Omar Koonce, 20, had been arguing outside their Queens home in July when, allegedly took four-year-old pup Lucy "by the neck and started slamming her against the stairwell three times and dropped her to the ground." The ASPCA couldn't find Walters at first, but then tracked him through Facebook (apparently Friday was his birthday)—and arrested him at his workplace on charges of felony animal cruelty and criminal mischief. As for Lucy, she has recovered—her leg needed "pins, plates and a splint to repair." Here's the ASPCA's Facebook page.

Sean Lynde pleaded not guilty to charges that he killed and/or tortured his ex-girlfriend's six cats over a four month period last year. Lynde, who is out on $5,000 bail, told the Post, "There are two sides to every story. Right now, we are hearing just one incredibly distorted one."

A 36-year-old graphic designer turned himself into the ASPCA today, after being accused being a serial killer of his girlfriend's cats. The Post reports that Sean Lynde "faces felony animal cruelty charges and a slew of misdemeanors" over the six deaths and the Daily News has details about the alleged killings and the cover-up:

Good grief, people suck: A Staten Island man named Frank Coppola was arrested yesterday on charges he beat his girlfriend's chihuahua to death. A necropsy performed on the three-year-old dog, named Bella, showed severe trauma to its chest, internal bleeding, several broken ribs, a ruptured jugular vein and bruised lungs. Coppola, 28, is accused of killing Bella in the apartment he shared with his girlfriend, Melissa DePietro, after the dog bit him.

A belated followup: The 14-year-old girl who was sentenced to 18 months in juvenile jail on animal cruelty and burglary charges for killing a kitten by baking it in a 500-degree oven. While 17-year-old Cheyenne Cherry's name has been attached to the crime, apparently it was the 14-year-old who put kitten Tiger Lily in the oven and turned on the gas, according to the Daily News. For her part, Cherry pleaded guilty to charges of aggravated animal cruelty and criminal trespass (the pair were ransacking a former friend's Bronx apartment); according to a tipster, her July 31 sentencing was adjourned because the judge wanted to read her probation record—she's been arrested previously for holding up someone with a BB gun to steal someone dog and robbing someone's iPod at gunpoint. Cherry's next court date is September 2.

Today, the Brooklyn DA's office announced that Fabian Henderson, who allegedly threw a 1-year-old dog six stories off a Brooklyn roof, was indicted. The charges are "Aggravated Cruelty to Animals, Criminal Trespass in the Third Degree and Overdriving, Torturing and Injuring Animals. If convicted, he could face up to two years in prison."

Everyone is rooting for Oreo, the 1-year-old dog that was allegedly thrown off the roof of a Brooklyn housing project by a 19-year-old. The Daily News says its readers have been emailing, asking if the dog has been adopted yet; one hopeful reader wrote, "Oreo surviving was an absolute miracle and we believe she survived for a reason and would love to help raise her in a loving home. [We] have a big yard for her to run around in."

This is amazing (and sad): A one-year-old black-and-white terrier mix was apparently thrown off a Brooklyn apartment building—and survived. Neighbors called the ASPCA about the dog, who took her to a vet. The pup, named Oreo for her coloring, then underwent surgery at the ASPCA hospital, where vets repaired all of her limbs "with plates and screws. She also suffered internal bruising and damage to her lungs," according to the Post.

Yesterday, Cheyenne Cherry pleaded guilty to two charges— attempted burglary and animal cruelty—"in a six-count indictment" related to an incident where she wrecked a friend's apartment as well as baked the friend's kitten in a 500 degree oven. The Daily News explains that the 17-year-old "Cherry was granted a plea deal [from the Bronx DA's office] because her cohort was 'more culpable' for the crimes"—the co-hort, 14, admitted to putting kitten Tiger Lily in the oven in the first place while Cherry said, "I didn't let the cat out." The two teens then ran out of the apartment, so they wouldn't have to hear the cat's cries or attempts to get out.

A little kitten survived not only being thrown from a truck but also being trapped in the wheel well of another car in Staten Island. The Post reports that the black-and-white 8-week-old tabby, named Lucky after her ordeal, was spotted by Family Court Judge Catherine DiDomenico. (Video of the super adorable cat after the jump.) DiDomenico was driving on Hylan Boulevard when a truck driver in front of her threw the kitten out the window. The stopped her car—which other drivers were not pleased about—to look for the kitten, "I looked down. I looked to the left. I looked to the right. I didn't see the kitten," but she spotted the kitten behind the left wheel. DiDomenico said, "As my wheel spun, she jumped into the wheel well and her claw became stuck in the suspension. Clearly she was very lucky. She is one brave kitty. This kitten defied an act of brutality." The NYPD Emergency Service Unit help extract Lucky, who was given a clean bill of health and is up for adoption at Staten Island Animal Care & Control in Tottenville. And the cops are still looking for the truck driver.

The Daily News has some more details about Cheyenne Cherry, the 17-year-old accused of killing her friend's (or ex-roommate's or ex-lover's) kitten by baking it in a 200-degree oven. Cherry was arrested in 2008 after her "boyfriend snatched the pooch from a woman in a Bronx park... after holding a BB gun to her forehead" (Cherry had "friends show up with the dog when a $500 reward was posted"). Also in 2008, she robbed a man of his iPod at gunpoint, claiming it was a "joke," which is what she said of the kitten killing and, in 2007, she was busted for "smacking a girl in the head with jewelry." In spite of her history, she was released without bail after being charged with aggravated cruelty to animals, arson, burglary and criminal mischief for the incident killing Tiger Lily the kitten and damaging the friend's apartment. The owner of the teacup Yorkie that Cherry and her boyfriend stole told the News, "They wonder why this little girl doesn't learn right from wrong. If she's willing to kill a cat and steal my dog, what else will she do? She thinks she can beat the system."

The ASPCA arrested a 17-year-old girl for killing her ex-roommate's kitten by putting the feline into an oven and leaving it to die. The Post described it as Cheyenne Cherry's "heartless attempt to get revenge on her lesbian lover." Cherry and a friend broke into the Mott Haven apartment of Valerie Hernandez, planning to trash the place. And the Daily News reports that Cherry allegedly told investigators, "I hate cats." Neighbors called the fire department, because a fire started and smoke was coming from the apartment. ASPCA Assistant Director Joseph Pentangelo said, "The kitten was burned alive, and it did not happen quickly. It was an agonizing death," adding that Cherry and the other person left soon after also slashing Hernandez's couch and stealing items, "She didn't want to hear the cat crying and scratching at the oven door... It's a shame that this kitten had to suffer like this. For the kitten to get caught up in whatever was going on with them is a tragedy." Cherry was charged with arson, burglary, criminal trespass and felony aggravated animal cruelty.

A Long Island man made an unsuccessful attempt at taking the life of his landlord, whose house he was renting a room in, by setting the residence on fire Friday night. Not as fortunate as the landlord and his girlfriend who both escaped the blaze safely was the man's boa constrictor—its head was cut off and left in front of the landlord's door before the fire was set. 45-year-old Jose Rios was arrested early Saturday morning in Central Islip after showing up at his sister's home wielding a knife and telling everyone there, "I can't go home. I killed everyone in that house and you're next." The landlord, Larry Maxwell, and his girlfriend, Jorene Palms, were able to get out of the house because Rios tried to alert Palms of the fire he had ignited with gasoline and a lighter. Rios later told police that he "wanted (Maxwell) to die." Maxwell said that although Rios sometimes behaved erratically, he "could be the nicest guy you'd ever meet." Charges for Rios include arson and animal cruelty for killing his snake Max, which may or may not have been named after the landlord.

This is horrible: MyFoxNY reports that firefighters, responding to a call in Mount Vernon, "found four kittens inside a burning desk drawer in an apartment building."

      

It turns out that the N.J. Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals found 93 cats (previously, it was thought there were almost 80) living in disgusting conditions in a home in the posh suburb of Chester Township, NJ. The Daily Record reports, "Police found the cats covered in feces in rooms throughout the spacious home at 22 Farm Road. Pictures provided by the SPCA depict floors, couches and tables littered with waste, while microwave and conventional ovens were crammed with garbage." Some of the NJSPCA photographs are above; the NJSPCA site has more, including a disturbing one of a bathtub filled with cat poop.

The Ringling Bros. dubs the Elephant Walk the "media event of the year," but it's more likely to create a bit of a media circus, which will all go down just before midnight tonight.

CityRoom has details on how two teens— Angelo Monderoy, 18, and Matthew Cooper, 17—now face multiple charges for arson, burglary and animal cruelty for "breaking into a vacant apartment in Crown Heights, Brooklyn, and setting a cat on fire" last October. The ASPCA conducted an investigation and, according to the Brooklyn DA's office, "the defendants brought the cat into the apartment, held the cat down and poured charcoal lighter fluid in it. They then set the animal on fire, causing deep wounds and fourth-degree thermal burns." Later, the cat was "found outside crying, unable to move, but still alive"; the cat was taken to a vet and euthanized. The pair face up to 25 years in prison if convicted and Cooper has allegedly broken into the same building before: He and a different cohort were recently "charged with breaking into an apartment and beating the tenant with a cane, while the victim lay in bed, asleep, and then demanding money." Here's more on reporting animal cruelty.

Has PETA gone too far? Word is that last week the animal rights activists showed up unannounced and uninvited at a Hempstead elementary school, chosen for its proximity to the Nassau Coliseum, where Ringling Bros. Circus sets up shop starting tomorrow. Their plan was to school the children in circus cruelty, handing out stickers and coloring books that declared, "Circuses are no fun for animals." While this may be true, many are criticizing the organization for their tactics, saying their method is inappropriate—a psychologist noted that the children "might go home and be very anxious" because they "are less mature in their cognitive process."

The carriage horse battle lines were drawn long ago in a war that seems to be never ending. Today the NY Post reports on the two sides: those in support of Tony Avella's bill to put an end to the industry, and those who are adamantly against it (including Liam Neeson). At a public hearing today Avella will pitch his plan, and Patrick Kwan, New York state director for The Humane Society, tells us why it's an important one.

Last night Liam Neeson appeared on the Daily Show and he swears carriage horses are treated like kings in New York, in fact, he'd even live in their stables himself! After some back and forth about the topic, Jon Stewart compromised with the actor, saying that if they could build a horse-friendly space in a meadow in Central Park it might be okay. Neeson says horses don't like the freedom of running in fields, however, and declared: "Everyone thinks cows in the fields would rather be running wild—that's bullsh**, horses don't either."

The world has been waiting to find out where Liam Neeson falls on the whole carriage horse issue, and you can stop holding your breath now, world: the actor has spoken...and PETA isn't gonna like what he has to say. Last week a story ran in the Irish Echo regarding the New Yorker resident's public support of the Central Park carriage industry, which came out in a letter to the City Council.

The Humane Society writes in to alert us of the latest act of cruelty against NYC's carriage horses. "While airplanes were grounded on last Friday, Dec 19th during the snowstorm, the city’s horse carriages continued operation. Forcing animals to work in such oppressive weather conditions is cruel and this is just the tip of the abuse associated with the carriage horse industry." The footage was posted by filmmaker Donny Moss, who directed Blinders.

A Bronx man was arrested after killing his wife's dog. The Post reports Bronx resident Brian McCafferty "staggered home at about 4:45 a.m. after spending most of the night drinking with some friends," which wife Jeanine Tulimero was not happy about. The couple --who were married on September 27--got into a fight and Tulimero left. Then, according to the Daily News, McCafferty "shot the dog once with the air rifle and then used a kitchen knife to fatally stab the animal." When Tulimero came back before 6 a.m., a neighbor heard her yell, "Where's my dog! Where's my dog!" McCafferty, who was treated for a cut to his hand, was charged with criminal possession of a weapon, criminal mischief, animal cruelty and reckless endangerment. He has been previously arrested for assault (though not an animal).

Joseph Petcka, whose trial for animal cruelty ended in a mistrial, has been making the rounds with the media to work on his image. He appeared on the Today Show and Inside Edition, where he said, "I hope there's something I can do in this lifetime that will make them see that I'm a person that loves animals."

After a judge declared a mistrial in the the animal cruelty case of a 205-pound man who killed a 7-pound cat, some of the jurors explained what happened during deliberations. The Post reported that "exhausted-looking" Shamsul Islam, Juror No. 11, said, "It was 11 to 1."

After five days of deliberations, the jurors in the animal cruelty trial of a man who killed his girlfriend's cat could not reach a verdict, so the judge ended the trial by declaring a hung jury. Joseph Petcka, 205 pounds, claimed that 7-pound, declawed cat Norman attacked him so he defended himself, but the prosecution contended that Petcka was jealous of the cat. The feline was fatally beaten and had multiple broken bones, broken teeth, a lacerated tongue and a chest full of blood (Petcka admitted he overreacted). The former minor league baseball player-turned-actor was facing up to 2 years in prison if found guilty (the jury had to determine whether there was justifiable reason for him to act this way).