Press Release

ASPCA® Announces Arrest of Staten Island Man for Abandoning Dogs

April 24,2009

ASPCA Media Contact

NEW YORK—Humane Law Enforcement agents of the ASPCA® (The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals®) arrested Staten Island resident Tyrone Walker this week for misdemeanor animal cruelty.

On April 23, the suspect was arrested in Manhattan for neglecting and abandoning his two dogs.  The dogs, a Rottweiler and Belgian Shepherd, were immediately taken to the ASPCA's Bergh Memorial Animal Hospital where veterinarians treated the severely neglected dogs.  The Rottweiler was gravely ill and died soon after arrival.  The 8-year-old Belgian Shepherd, named Savannah, is currently being treated for Lyme disease at the hospital.

Walker, 41, was charged with two counts of misdemeanor animal cruelty, two counts of abandoning an animal and faces up to two years in jail and a $2,000 fine.

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Founded in 1866, the ASPCA® (The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals®) is the first humane organization established in the Americas and serves as the nation’s leading voice for animal welfare. One million supporters strong, the ASPCA’s mission is to provide effective means for the prevention of cruelty to animals throughout the United States. As a 501 [c] [3] not-for-profit corporation, the ASPCA is a national leader in the areas of anti-cruelty, community outreach and animal health services. The ASPCA, which is headquartered in New York City, offers a wide range of programs, including a mobile clinic outreach initiative, its own humane law enforcement team, and a groundbreaking veterinary forensics team and mobile animal CSI unit. For more information, please visit www.aspca.org.

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