The Suffolk County SPCA said Sunday SPCA officers have charged Swaneka P.J. Danzler (aka Swaneka Pertiece Danzler), 21, with animal cruelty. The SPCA said Danzler admitted to SPCA officers that she dumped the puppies at the Riverhead Animal Hospital on West Main Street about 1 a.m. on Dec. 18.
The two pit bull puppies, 10-12 weeks old, were found in a window well at the animal hospital. They had severe mange and were near death, SCPA Chief Roy Gross said.
[Other news reports say she dumped them down a six-foot deep window well and left them to die.]
They puppies were treated at the animal hospital and subsequently released to the town animal shelter. The North Fork Animal Welfare League then took custody of them.
One puppy died Christmas Day, but the other was expected to make a full recovery, according to NFAWL executive director Gillian Wood Pultz.
The Suffolk SPCA had posted a $2,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the person(s) responsible for the crime. The humane organization increased the reward to $3,000 after the puppy died.
SCPA chief of operations Steve Laton said in a news release Danzler's apprehension was credited to "the diligent work of SPCA officers in the apprehension of" Danzler.
Editor's note: A criminal charge is an accusation. By law, a person charged with a crime is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
(Riverhead Local - Dec 30, 2012)
Update:
- New York: Swaneka P.J. Danzler waited until her Pit Bull puppies were emaciated and covered in mange and then dumped them into a window well to die. One puppy died after being rescued. Yet today the judge gave her probation.
- New York: This is what happens when judges won't punish animal abusers. In the middle of the night, Swaneka Danzler threw two dying puppies six feet down into a window well and drove off. The judge gave her three years probation. Not even a year into her probation, she is arrested for assaulting a police officer.