Two NYC Dog Owners Arrested For Animal Cruelty

ASPCA Humane Law Enforcement agents recently arrested two New York City men for unrelated incidents of animal neglect. Each man is charged with one count of misdemeanor animal cruelty and faces up to one year in jail and a $2,000 fine.

On June 19, ASPCA Special Agent Joseph Vais arrested Brooklyn resident Constantin Golie, 60. An anonymous tip led Agent Vais and another ASPCA officer to Golie’s basement, where they found Baba, a 12-year-old chow chow. Baba had no food or water, and she was suffering from severe matting and an ear infection. Baba was rushed to the ASPCA’s Bergh Memorial Animal Hospital (BMAH).

And on Monday, June 23, ASPCA Special Agent Debbie Koch arrested Bronx resident John Monserrate, 30. Monserrate brought his 10-week-old male pit bull, Trux, to BMAH in late April, and veterinarians saw that the pup was dehydrated and starving, and had multiple untreated wounds. He was taken into ASPCA custody and received lifesaving medical care.

“When Trux came in, he weighed 5.9 pounds,” says Dr. Robert Reisman, Medical Coordinator of Animal Cruelty Cases at BMAH. “After one month in our care, his weight increased to 16 pounds. That’s a 171-percent increase—more than double the typical 50- to 75-percent growth rate for a healthy puppy his age. This proves that Trux had been underfed, and I have no doubt that he was critically ill when he came to us.”

Both men voluntarily relinquished ownership of their dogs to the ASPCA, and shelter staffers anticipate that Baba and Trux will be made available for adoption in the near future.