I'm frankly shocked and horrified that anyone could do this to a blind and deaf dog. It's tragic. I hope this man suffers greatly for what he's done. I urge everyone to contact Putnam Valley -- it's law enforcment and DA -- to push for a the max sentence for this scumbag.
Here's the article:
Man charged in death of old dog
By BARBARA LIVINGSTON NACKMAN
THE JOURNAL NEWS
(Original publication: June 7, 2005)
PUTNAM VALLEY — A 40-year-old Putnam Valley man is due in Town Court on Thursday to answer a felony charge of animal cruelty after he was accused of kicking his neighbor's 15-year-old blind and deaf dog so severely that it later died.
Roxi, a 45-pound German shepherd mixed breed, wandered into Frank Aquino's yard during a Memorial Day barbeque, police said. The dog died a few hours after the attack.
A witness said Aquino had "walked over to the dog and kicked (it) like a football" in the abdomen, said Capt. William McNamara of the Putnam County Sheriff's Office.
The arthritic dog had staggered to another neighbor's yard and died under a tree, where owners Lisa and William Sampson found their beloved pet.
They had no idea what had happened to their dog until Alfred Pizzuto, the neighbor who witnessed the incident, realized this was the Sampsons' dog, and the story came together.
"To viciously kick a dog is beyond words," said Lisa Sampson, 39. "She was such a sweet animal. We'd come in the door and her tail would be wagging. Now she is gone, and in such a horrible way."
Pizzuto, a guest at the barbeque, told police he and his wife, Michelle, were shocked and left Aquino's house, saying they didn't want to socialize with someone who did such a thing.
They weren't familiar with the dog and did not know where it went after the injury.
After the attack, Pizzuto said "the dog tumbled several times" and "then slowly got up and walked away," according to the police report. Deputy John Wynne handled the investigation and arrested Aquino on Sunday evening. He was charged aggravated cruelty to an animal.
Attempts to reach Aquino and Pizzuto yesterday were not successful.
In the past four years, there have been some striking cases of animal abuse in the region.
Putnam Valley Dog Control Officer Patricia Smith said it was vital that Pizzuto filed a complaint.
"You can't let people get away with this," she said. "If this is what he does to a neighbor's dog, what does he do to strays? How does he treat people?"
She said she periodically gets calls of inhumane treatment of animals but said people too often don't want to file a formal complaint.
Lisa Sampson said she was particularly shocked by the harm done to the dog she had raised since it was a puppy because she and Aquino both attended Mahopac High School together and grew up in the neighborhood. Lisa, whose maiden name was Eichen, was raised in her current house on Somerset Lane, which she and her husband, Bill, bought from her parents.
Aquino grew up in a house down the block, where his parents still live, and now lives across Somerset Lane from the Sampsons.
"We knew each other. If he had a problem, he could have come to me," she said.
She said she walked Roxi on a leash and since the birth of her son, Dylan, seven months ago, she got into a routine of walking Roxi with the stroller a few times a day. On Memorial Day, she said, Roxi was running on another neighbor's lawn and got out of sight, probably attracted by all the outdoor cooking smells.
The incident is reported to have happened about 4 p.m. Sampson said she found Roxi about 6:30 p.m.
Aquino was arraigned Sunday evening by Town Justice Louis DiCarlo. He was released without bail, but the judge issued temporary protective orders directing Aquino to stay away from the Pizzutos and the Sampsons.
Aquino entered a not-guilty plea, court personnel said. If convicted, he could face up to two years in jail and a maximum $5,000 fine. |
Animal Rights
