Kathryn DeStefano was charged with animal cruelty after SPCA officers said she failed to feed her 15-year-old female mixed-breed dog, Suzy.
Ken Ross, chief of the Putnam County SPCA Humane Law Enforcement Department, called it “one of the worst cases of an emaciated animal that I have ever seen.
The dog was taken to a veterinary hospital in northern Westchester two weeks ago in what the hospital staff called a severely neglected state. Ross said Destefano actually thought the dog was dead but it was barely alive and died at the hospital.
Ross said Suzy suffered from severe emaciation, infected pressure sores on the sternum and scabbed-over ulcers on the face and hind legs. Destefano told veterinarians that the dog was eating but still losing weight.
“At that point, she should have gotten the dog to a vet,” Ross said.
On her Facebook page, DeStefano portrayed herself as an avid animal lover, encouraging friends to adopt shelter animals, and said she was a participant in multiple animal rescue and breed-specific groups. She posted frequently about her work with animal rescue organizations. Her Facebook page has since been removed.
SPCA officers said they investigated for two weeks before arresting DeStefano. She is due to be arraigned Jan. 6 in Carmel Town Court.
(Hudson Valley Reporter - Dec 13, 2013)
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