A New York man has been arrested by SPCA Westchester's Humane Law Enforcement Unit (HLE) after disturbing and graphic video evidence showed him violently abusing two dogs.
Roger Andrews of Yonkers, New York, was arrested on November 18 in collaboration with Yonkers Police Officers Fagan and Sousa. Andrews has since been charged with two counts of animal cruelty.
It is estimated that, every year, 10 million animals die from abuse in just the United States alone. Data from the Federal Bureau of Investigation's National Incident-Based Reporting System (NIBRS)+ and analyzed by the team at Onevet.ai found that Texas reported the highest number of animal abuse offenses in 2021, followed by Delaware and Virginia.
The SPCA's HLE Unit, led by Director Ernest Lungaro, initiated the investigation after receiving the security camera footage that captured shocking acts of abuse. The video showed the man "severely beating" a male puppy named Champ, with the dog being whipped repeatedly with a thick rope leash, screaming in distress.
In additional clips, Andrews was pictured kicking, punching, and throwing both Champ and a female dog named Pretty Girl.
Shannon Laukhuf, chief executive officer of SPCA Westchester, said that neither Champ nor Pretty Girl belong to Andrews. The dogs were temporarily in his care for walks, entrusted to him by their owners. "By some miracle, Champ and Pretty Girl did not sustain any serious injuries," said Laukhuf in a statement. "We are so thankful that these innocent animals were seized by our HLE Unit before it was too late."
The SPCA Westchester said that, because each dog has a different owner, Pretty Girl will be going back to hers soon, while Champ will likely go up for adoption at either the Yonkers shelter or SPCA.
After the SPCA Westchester team shared the story and footage on its Facebook page, animal lovers were quick to leave comments, sharing their upset over the animal abuse case.
Animal abuse is often linked to other forms of violence. One study found that 16 percent of violent offenders began by abusing animals before later committing similar crimes against humans.
Andrews was held overnight following his arrest due to an open warrant unrelated to this case. He was arraigned the following day.
If you witness a crime in progress, call 911. If you suspect someone is abusing or neglecting animals, you should contact the agency responsible for enforcing the animal-related laws in your location. This can be the local police, animal control, SPCA or another local humane organization.
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