SPCA seizes underfed animals, charges man
NEW PALTZ, N.Y. » A town resident who failed to provide food and water to pigs and goats on his property is facing multiple misdemeanor charges, according to the Ulster County SPCA.
David Jones, 61, of 294 Old Kingston Road, was charged Wednesday after New Paltz police and the SPCA’s Humane Law Enforcement Division executed a search warrant at his property, the SPCA said.
Jones was charged with 13 counts of failure to provide sustenance and seven counts of failure to provide food and drink to an impounded animal, all misdemeanor violations of state Agriculture and Markets Law, according to a press release from the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.
“Cases like this one are difficult,” SPCA Executive Director Adam Saunders said in a prepared statement. “Often overlooked, the suffering these species can experience is just as real and as much a betrayal as anything I’ve seen inflicted on the family cat or dog.” In May, an SPCA cruelty investigator visited the New Paltz home in response to complaints about an injured piglet. At that time, Jones was cited for “several areas of concern regarding the care of the goats and pigs on the property, leading to multiple follow-up inspections,” the SPCA said. After that, though, “minimal progress was made towards improvement in the care or conditions of the animals,” the agency said. Many of the animals were found to be severely underweight and suffering from mange, the SPCA said.
The animals have were removed from Jones’ property and are being cared for by the Woodstock Farm Animal Sanctuary in High Falls and the Indraloka Animal Sanctuary in Mehoopany, Pa., the agency said.