ASPCA Humane Law Enforcement Agents Arrest Bronx Woman for Animal Cruelty

September 7, 2006

New York—Humane Law Enforcement agents of The ASPCA® (The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals®) arrested Janet Torres for animal cruelty on Wednesday outside her Bronx home.

Ms. Torres, 43, of 1203 Westchester Avenue, is charged with one count of animal cruelty, punishable by up to a $1,000 fine and/or one year in prison.

On August 9, 2006, ASPCA agents responded to an anonymous complaint at Ms. Torres’ home, where they discovered Brownie, an approximately five-year-old male Dachshund, locked in the bathroom with no food or water.

Dehydrated and emaciated, Brownie was taken to the ASPCA’s Bergh Memorial Animal Hospital, where veterinarians discovered that the tiny dog was also anemic and suffered from intestinal bleeding. Brownie weighed only six pounds upon admission, and his condition was estimated to have taken weeks, if not months, to develop. His stomach contents consisted only of human hair and dental floss; the dental floss had sliced into his intestines, causing severe injury. Despite two surgeries and multiple blood transfusions to treat his condition, Brownie died on August 31 at the Bergh Memorial Animal Hospital, a victim of his owner's neglect.

The Humane Law Enforcement Department of the ASPCA is the only law enforcement agency in New York solely dedicated to investigating crimes against the city’s animal population.  Founded in 1866, the ASPCA was the first humane organization established in the Western Hemisphere and today has one million supporters. The ASPCA’s mission is to provide an effective means for the prevention of cruelty to animals throughout the United States.  The ASPCA provides national leadership in humane education, government affairs and public policy, shelter support, and animal poison control.  The NYC headquarters houses a full-service animal hospital, animal behavior center, and adoption facility.  Visit www.aspca.org for more information.