Woman Sentenced to Jail in Poodle Death

Neighbor Found Dog in Trash Can

By Conor Greene

A Maspeth woman will serve 30 days in jail after admitting to stuffing her severely beaten poodle in a suitcase and leaving it to die in a trash can outside her 54th Place home. She later told police she was having trouble caring for both the pet and her baby.

Sonia Perez, 21, of 60-49 54th Place pleaded guilty Monday to attempted aggravated cruelty to animals. She was immediately sentenced to 30 days in jail and three years’ probation, announced District Attorney Richard Brown. She must also make restitution to the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals for medical care administered before the poodle’s death.

Perez was arrested on March 5 after a neighbor heard the injured dog from inside the trash can. The poodle was having difficulty breathing when the neighbor found it, was very cold and laying limp and non-responsive in its own feces. The dog was taken to the local Animal Care and Control Center and later turned over to the ASPCA where it was diagnosed with scrotal bruising and rib fractures. The dog died the following day.

Following her arrest, Perez was charged with felony aggravated cruelty to animals and misdemeanor torturing an animal before agreeing to plead guilty to the lesser charge this week. A witness told police that that Perez had told him previously that it was difficult to care for the dog while raising a child, and a police source said a neighbor reported that she had beat the dog on prior instances.

“The defendant showed a complete disregard for the life of a helpless and severely injured animal. Instead of getting help, the defendant unceremoniously tossed the dog into the trash like rubbage to either die a slow death or be crushed by a sanitation truck’s compactor,” said Brown.

Animal Rights Activists Rally for Angel

By Conor Greene

A group of animal rights activists gathered on the steps of City Hall on Sunday to hold a protest and vigil for Angel, a 13-year-old Collie that was wrongfully euthanized by the New York City Animal Care and Control.

The beloved pet was euthanized just hours after being picked up by AC&C after escaping from the Astoria home of 94-year-old Jane Guardascione earlier this month. Guardascione was left devastated after learning her companion had been euthanized, even though city policy requires animals to be held for at least 72 hours.

Now, City Councilman Tony Avella (D-Bayside) has launched a probe into whether AC&C has improperly euthanized or adopted out other animals before 72 hours. Under the law, only severely injured or sick animals can be put down sooner. However, many animal activists are certain that Angel wasn’t the first animal euthanized within 72 hours.

In response, Avella has submitted a formal request for all AC&C records regarding euthanizations, length of stay for animals brought to shelters, physical examination as well as records concerning owner notification. He also wrote directly to AC&C and the city Department of Health regarding the circumstances surrounding Angel’s death.

“It was extremely startling to learn of the unfortunate euthanization of Angel, which has caused a tremendous amount of grief for Ms. Guardascione, who saw the dog as a true companion,” said Avella. “In this instance, there appears to be a complete breakdown of the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene’s policy to keep strays for at least 72 hours by NYC AC&C. As a result, I feel it is absolutely necessary to investigate the practices and procedures of NYC AC&C… to find out exactly what is going on at NYC AC&C to prevent this tragedy from happening again.”

Among the 100 or so individuals who attended Sunday was Kathy Schnurr of Bayside, who is certain this isn’t the first time AC&C improperly euthanized an animal. “We’ve been aware of [problems] for a while, and for no apparent reason they put this dog down, so Angel brought it to a head” she said. “It’s definitely happened before without a doubt.”

Schnurr said the activists are awaiting the results of Avella’s information request before deciding how to proceed. “We need to let them really know what is going on. Hopefully this will be the last we’ll hear about any dogs being euthanized like Angel. We’re still waiting to hear the details from his [information request]. Then we will definitely rally behind him.”

Unfortunately for Guardascione, any reforms that come will be too late. “Something needs to be done. I still feel terrible,” she told the Daily News during Sunday’s vigil.

In a statement following the euthanization of Angel, AC&C officials expressed their “deepest sympathies” to the family and said that Angel was put down to prevent additional pain. “Because of her deteriorating condition and advanced age of over 13 years, the vet made the decision to euthanize Angel in an effort to prevent any additional suffering,” it read. “It is our goal to avoid euthanasia unless we deem it absolutely necessary.”

Each year, AC&C handles an estimated 43,000 animals rescued from city streets, of which about 15,000 are euthanized. It urges animal owners to make sure their pets are licensed and microchipped.

A Push for Reform After Beloved Collie is Euthanized

By Conor Greene

After a 94-year-old grandmother’s beloved collie was euthanized at a city animal center just hours after arriving at the facility, a group of animal lovers and a Queens City Councilman are working to prevent this from happening again.

Officials at the city’s Animal Care and Control say that 13-year-old Angel was euthanized shortly after arriving at the Manhattan facility on April 9 because she collapsed and was unable to walk. The dog, which had wandered away from Jane Guardascione’s Astoria home, didn’t have identification and didn’t match the description of any missing dogs.

However, according to the contract AC&C has with the state Health Department, dogs brought into its facilities must be held for at least 72 hours before being euthanized or released for adoption. The only exceptions are if an animal is critically injured.

In a statement, AC&C officials expressed their “deepest sympathies” to the family and said that Angel was suffering and was put down to prevent additional pain. “Because of her deteriorating condition and advanced age of over 13 years, the vet made the decision to euthanize Angel in an effort to prevent any additional suffering,” it read. “It is our goal to avoid euthanasia unless we deem it absolutely necessary.”

However, family members said that although the dog had been slowed by arthritis, it was still able to walk and probably became scared after being taken to the loud, unfamiliar shelter. Guardascione was “heartbroken” and began suffering chest pains when she found out what happened to her “beloved companion,” according to local animal activist Phyllis Taiano, who had tried to find Angel before she was put down.

In response to the incident, City Councilman Tony Avella (D-Bayside) has submitted a request for AC&C records, specifically as they relate to animals that were euthanized at the shelters. He is now calling for an investigation into AC&C’s “practices and procedures… to prevent this tragedy from happening again.”

“It was extremely startling to learn of the unfortunate euthanization of Angel, which has caused a tremendous amount of grief for Ms. Guardascione, who saw the dog as a true companion,” said Avella. “In this instance, there appears to be a complete breakdown of the Department of Health and Hygiene’s policy to keep strays for at least 72 hours by NYC AC&C.”

Avella is seeking to obtain all records regarding euthanizations, length of stay for animals brought into city shelters, physical examinations, as well as records concerning owner notification, according to his office. He will hold a rally on the steps of City Hall at noon on Sunday along with other animal rights groups to bring awareness to the situation.

Taiano, a Middle Village resident who helps rescue lost dogs, was also distraught over the situation. She found out that Angel was at the AC&C just after 5 p.m. that evening, less than an hour after she had been euthanized. “Now that Avella has submitted a request for [records] we want to keep this [issue] alive and in the forefront,” said Taiano. “Angel’s case is not going away. Our protest is in honor of Angel and to raise more awareness that the AC&C continues to practice unethically. That shelter is in desperate need of reform.”

In light of recent alleged improprieties at AC&C shelters, an online petition is being circulated asking the City Council and Mayor to convene an Animal Care Task Force “to oversee the replacement of the existing Board of Directors… which has created this crisis.” The petition notes that while law requires the city to have five fullservice animal shelters, there currently are only three.