SPCA Investigates Man Who Drove Mini-Bike Attached to Dog's Leash

[Guest]

SPCA investigates man who drove mini-bike attached to dog's leash in Thornwood

By Shawn Cohen

The Journal News • July 18, 2008

MOUNT PLEASANT - Henry Remy already faces a drunken-driving charge, and his wife has placed him in the dog house.

Now, the 50-year-old Queens resident faces the possibility of even more charges for trying to drive home on a mini-bike Monday with his dog running alongside him, leashed to the handlebars.

http://lohud.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID...EWS02/807180422

i don't understand, the man intended to run the dog all the way to Queens on a mini-bike, and that's not a crime??

Edited July 18, 2008 by ems-buff
Not adhering to the copyright rules of the forum

[Guest MVFD334]

Ok I am a dog lover.. If anybody where to hurt my bulldog I would hurt them.. But this is just to damn funny.. I can understand if this was the the scene from National Lampoons Vacation but c'mon.. This vet bill is gonna run up how much?? 100's if not 1000's searching for a pre-existing problem. Total BS..

[x635 4,066]

I don't know if this is any different than a dog that will run alongside joggers, but if the dog was struggling to keep up, then it's animal cruelty and not funny at all.

I don't know the details of this story, but if this guy was in the wrong, then he should be forced to run alongside a motorbike as a punishment.

[Future Fireman 4]

I don't know if this is any different than a dog that will run alongside joggers, but if the dog was struggling to keep up, then it's animal cruelty and not funny at all.

Running along joggers (roughly in the 5-15 MPH range) is better than a minibike capable of doing 30+.

Mike

[jack10562 414]

BUT...this joker was driving to QUEENS....from Thornwood..

Thats like 35 miles!!!

His intent was to take the dog home ...running alongside him.... for 35 MILES????

Lock him up!

[DOC22 1]

BUT...this joker was driving to QUEENS....from Thornwood..

Thats like 35 miles!!!

His intent was to take the dog home ...running alongside him.... for 35 MILES????

Lock him up!

And Throw the key away!!!!!

[Guest alsfirefighter]

OK. Let's not get too crazy. As a dog lover myself, I feel for the dog, but in the end the dog is alive and without the full information on the dog its hard to determine what, if any injuries were sustained by the dog to get any charges or higher level charges. If there was some form of injury to the animal...to its paws or some other injury related to the dog..then it could be argued that the animal was "overdriven" and that is a charge directly. It could be borderline aggravated cruelty to an animal. At the most he is looking at 2 years and most often its time served with probation period. Running along with the owner as they jog for most dogs is a necessity and isn't cruelty as long as you don't run the dog into the ground itself. If I didn't run my Jack Russell I wouldn't have a moments peace.

Which funny enough animal laws are not found in penal law but agriculture and markets law.

[RWC130 594]

The Dog was hooked up to a Motorized Vehicle.

Animal Cruelty? YES!

Nothing borderline about it.

I hope SPCA hits this TOTAL IDIOT as hard as they can with

Tickets and Fines! Maybe JAIL?

When they are done, I'd like to tie this LOSER to the back of my vehicle

while on the Sprain and watch him try to keep up! Whoops... Sorry!

[LTNRFD 266]

Quick questions....how did the dog and the guy on the 'mini-bike' get to Thornwood in the first place?? And if it was a 'mini-bike', why did the LEO wait till he crossed a double yellow to pull him over??

[Guest alsfirefighter]

Animal Cruelty? YES!

Nothing borderline about it.

So you think...look up Aggravated Animal Cruelty under NYS law and tell me exactly where in the wording the situation here falls into.

I also feel he should get some punishment for his actions and I clearly stated that.

[ny10570 745]

Broken foot + high energy springer = automobile assisted dog running. Thank you Tom hanks for that idea. The vehicle isn't cruel, the idiot driving the vehicle is the problem.

[RWC130 594]

NEW YORK STATE AGRICULTURE & MARKETS LAW

Article 26

ANIMALS

350. Definitions.

2. "Torture" or "cruelty" includes every act, omission, or neglect, whereby unjustifiable physical pain, suffering or death

is caused or permitted.

353a. Aggravated cruelty to animals.

1. A person is guilty of aggravated cruelty to animals when, with no justifiable purpose, he or she intentionally kills or intentionally causes serious physical injury to a companion animal with aggravated cruelty. For purposed of this section, "aggravated cruelty " shall mean conduct which:

i. is intended to cause extreme physical pain; or

ii. is done or carried out in an especially depraved or sadistic manner.

2. Nothing contained in this section shall be construed to prohibit or interfere in any way with anyone lawfully engaged in hunting, trapping, or fishing, as provided in article eleven of the environmental conservation law, the dispatch of rabid or diseased animals, as provided in article twenty-one of the public health law, or the dispatch of animals posing a threat to human safety or other animals where such action is otherwise legally authorized, or any properly conducted scientific tests, experiments, or investigations involving the use of living animals, performed or conducted in laboratories or institutions approved for such purposes by the commissioner of health pursuant to section three hundred fifty-three of this article.

3. aggravated cruelty to animals is a felony. A defendant convicted of this offense shall be sentenced pursuant to paragraph B of subdivision one of section 55.10 of the penal law provided, however, that any term of imprisonment imposed for violation of this section shall be definite sentence, which may not exceed two years.

359. Carrying animal in a cruel manner.

A person who carries or causes to be carried in or upon any vessel or vehicle or otherwise, any animal in a cruel or inhumane manner, or so as to produce torture, is guilty of a misdemeanor, punishable by imprisonment for not more than one year, or by a fine of not more than one thousand dollars, or by both.

http://www.nyshumane.org/Manual/Ch7NYS/NYS...t26.htm#353aAgg

[ny10570 745]

The issue is not so much the way that the animal carried but the affect it has on the animal. "in a cruel or inhumane manner, or so as to produce torture" is the key. As long as the dog appears to be in no distress and suffers no harm then there is nothing wrong with it.

[Guest alsfirefighter]

My point exactly. Without knowing if anything happened to the dog, other then a quote in the newspaper that it was trying keep up....we don't know if the charge fits if we don't know if the dog was in pain or had injury. I don't trust the angle of most articles in the paper, particulary that one for how many people I know were either misquoted or their quote was given to give a certain angle. That is what law enforcment's job is and if it fits he will get punished and I will doubt he will get significant jail time on the animal charge. What is sadistic to some isn't to others. Do I think its cruel...yes. I think anything that you wouldn't do with or to a child you shouldn't do to an animal. Do I think he should be charged yes...but lets get real, there are far worse level crimes comitted that they don't "lock them up and throw away the key." He deserves whatever punishment he gets...but the bravado gets a little old on some topics and that is what I was pointing out.