A Staten Island man has been charged with starving 24 huskies to death in a filthy environment.
Victor Quinteros, 54, pleaded not guilty Wednesday, according to the Staten Island District Attorney's Office.
Quinteros was arrested on July 29 after raiding a vacant lot in Tompkinsville. The previous day, his two dogs, including 16 adults, 7 puppies and 1 dead puppy, had been living under two trailers or roaming the fenced property. became clear.
The complaint alleges that the trailer was hot, had little airflow, and reeked of urine and feces.
In one of his trailers with as many as 20 huskies, he said, "The floor and all surfaces in the trailer where the dogs could stand, sit, or lie down were caked with faeces. was,” the complaint claims.
There was no food or water inside.
Their only source of water on the property, the complaint said, was a children's pool filled with "dirty, green, fetid water" that dogs used to drink and bathe in. I'm here.
And the only food source "was rotten and appeared to be crawling with maggots," the complaint claims.
The dog "appeared to be malnourished, with tangled fur and legs caked with urine and faeces." There is also a dog named Zeus, "chained to a fence" with no food or water, and "bleeding and oozing pus" from his neck.
A mother was found under a trailer with a litter of puppies, including one dead pup.
Quinteros told authorities when he arrived at the facility, "I'm doing animal rescues here," the complaint alleges.
At Wednesday's court hearing, Quinteros, through his attorney, asked prosecutors to have the dog repaired, provided dental care and microchipped, according to a Staten Island Advance report. ,} .
DA's office, on behalf of the ASPCA, denied the request for medical bills for the huskies as the bills were already surging above $40,000. I am asking Quinteros for a security deposit.
Pooch says he is under the control of the ASPCA, but he is still owned by Quinteros, news sites report.
The judge set bail at $20,000 in cash and a bond of $75,000, his DA office said.
"This defendant failed to provide the basic needs of the 24 huskies in his care, and ruthlessly treated these beautiful creatures with adequate food and water. We chose to leave it in a dire and dangerous state that we could not let in," said District Attorney Michael McMahon. statement.
"We are proud to work with the New York City Sheriff's Office and the Richmond County District Attorney's Office to bring these dogs to safety and provide much-needed medical and behavioral therapy." "His ASPCA attorney Erin Satterthwaite said in a statement.
The Legal Aid Society, which represents Quinteros in this case, did not immediately return a request for comment.
