Politics & Government

Rice: Animal Cruelty Unit Leads to Rise in Prosecutions

Nassau County District Attorney Kathleen Rice visited Glen Cove Animal Lover's League to announce breakthrough in animal cruelty prosecutions.

One year after Nassau County District Attorney Kathleen Rice spearheaded the creation of Long Island's first Animal Cruelty Unit, animal abuse prosecutions have increased more than fourfold.

Rice announced the jump in animal cruelty charges during a press conference held at on Wednesday morning, citing that the animal cruelty hotline has received over 700 tips of suspected abuse since it was implemented in February 2010.

The specialized unit handles cases involving animal cruelty, abuse and neglect, and operates with one major aim, said Rice: "to protect vulnerable pets and animals."

Find out what's happening in Glen Covewith free, real-time updates from Patch.

"These are not easy cases to prosecute," said Rice. "We have a victim that can't call for help, can't tell you what happened and who can't testify in court."

Rice said that while the unit operates with the intent to prevent animal creulty, cases of animal abuse could be an indicator of more serious crimes, including child neglect, domestic abuse and gang violence.

Find out what's happening in Glen Covewith free, real-time updates from Patch.

"Prior to the unit's creation, on average, just two animal abuse cases per year were referred to my office by local law enforcement agencies," said Rice. "And rarely did those defendants ever see jail time. Now we have prosecuted 16 cases, just in the last year."

Rice was joined by president and co-founder of the Animal Lover's League, Joan Phillips and who had been the victim of severe animal neglect.

Noelle was rescued in December from a home where she had been kept outside with little to no food. Phillips said that the dog had most likely been hit by a car and had gone with no treatment for over a year.

"If this beautiful dog had gone maybe another week in that home, she'd be dead," Phillips said.

No criminal charges were brought on Noelle's owner, as she was ruled mentally unfit to raise an animal, said Rice.

If you suspect that an animal is being abused or neglected, call the animal cruelty tip hotline at 516-571-2245.


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here