Three plead guilty to animal abuse charges

Warwick - You might call it a victory but there were no winners. On June 12, three guilty pleas for animal cruelty were entered in Warwick Town Court. To begin, a 17-year-old male from Greenwood Lake pled guilty to animal abuse for the “mistreatment” of the family’s two 14-year-old dogs. One of the dogs had a choke chain deeply imbedded completely around her neck. The jugular vein was exposed and required the chain’s excruciating removal without painkillers due to the dog’s debilitated, near death state. According to Suzyn Barron, president of the Warwick Valley Humane Society, both dogs, bearing scars from a previous similar abuse, have fully recovered and have been adopted into a loving, caring home through the Society. Due to his youthful offender status, details of his sentence are not available. In another case, Keyada Robinson, of Greenwood Lake, pled guilty to a misdemeanor charge of animal cruelty for failing to provide veterinary care to her one-year-old emaciated Great Dane who, weighing only 30 pounds, was found with open sores covering her entire body. Her sentence included a $500 fine, full restitution for veterinary care of $686 to the Warwick Valley Humane Society, a no pet order, and a conditional discharge. And finally, Maryann Adams of Greenwood Lake, pled guilty to the misdemeanor charge of failing to provide sustenance to her 10-year-old St. Bernard mix, Princess, whom she had adopted from the Warwick Animal Shelter. Last January, the dog, all skin and bones, was discovered dead by an animal control officer from the shelter. At that time the normally husky animal weighed only 30 pounds. Adams is scheduled to be sentenced before Warwick Town Justice Daniel Coleman on Aug. 14. The Warwick Valley Humane Society has established “The Princess Fund” for donations to be used for the medical, physical and emotional recovery of animal victims of neglect and abuse. Donations towards the Princess Fund may be sent to the Warwick Valley Humane Society at PO Box 61, Warwick, NY 10990. For information, call 986-2473.