Sadistic Animal Abusers Love New York
Weak state cruelty laws and haphazard enforcement means wrist-taps for offenders, when authorities act at all.
Headlines from Buffalo to Brooklyn
It’s May 2, 2025. This is The Weekly Poop.
This week, NYPD arrested a man for allegedly netting pigeons on public property, which is not at all legal. His case is instructive, as it illustrates New York’s failure to hold animal abusers accountable, even if the accused is alleged to have a history of offenses over a number of years.
At around 7 a.m. on April 30, police detained 67-year-old Pennsylvanian Dwayne Daley after witnesses spotted a man “using a large black net to catch pigeons” in the East Village, according to amNY.
“Cops discovered a truck nearby with Pennsylvania plates and inside found some 25 pigeons within small cages, along with more nets,” amNY reported.
Advocates say that, for years, offenders have abducted pigeons from city streets to be sold in Pennsylvania for target practice, with no action by NYC officials to stop them.
According to amNY, Daley received “a slew of animal cruelty charges,” but was arraigned and released within 24 hours — and was then immediately arrested again, this time for allegedly assaulting a man who tried to stop Daley from capturing pigeons in Brooklyn in 2021. In that case, court records say the top charge against Daley was attempted assault with intent to cause serious physical injury, a class E felony under state law.
Class E is New York’s least severe felony category. It is, not coincidentally, also the prescribed category for aggravated animal cruelty. Defendants charged with E felonies are routinely allowed to plead down to misdemeanor offenses punishable by probation and nominal fines.
“Dwayne Daley was arrested way back in 2007 for poaching pigeons in NYC but his case was dismissed and we believe he’s continued poaching pigeons with impunity since then, likely tens of thousands of pigeons,” Edita Birnkrant, executive director of NYCLASS, told amNewYork.
Meanwhile, in mid-April Queens Gazette reported that two community cats in Astoria were found caught in steel leg traps placed by a person or persons unknown. Though both cats survived, thanks to chance encounters with good Samaritans, each reportedly lost a leg to amputation.
Those are the cases we know about, no thanks to New York City, or New York State, officialdom.
The Queens Gazette’s primary source — identified only as “a local Astoria animal lover,” whom we’ll call “Luca” for clarity’s sake — says they got so little help from city agencies after discovering the first injured cat that Luca and another person freed him from the trap themselves. After getting immediate medical attention for the cat, Luca says they arranged for follow-up care, when it was determined that amputation was necessary.
According to Luca, NYC ACC did remove the trap from the second cat (pictured up top with the trap still in place). Luca says New York State Department of Environmental Conservation personnel were dispatched, and “stated they would investigate these traps.”
Class E is New York’s least severe felony category. It is, not coincidentally, also the prescribed category for aggravated animal cruelty.
A 311 report concerning an animal abuse complaint from April 9 matches one of the dates, as well as the approximate location, cited by Luca. The report says NYPD “took action to fix the condition.” Whatever that means, the complaint was closed within 24 hours.
This week, two weeks after the Queens Gazette story went live, The Scoop New York contacted NYPD, ACC, the Mayor’s Office of Animal Welfare, and DEC about the intentional and illegal maimings of New York City community cats, and what their respective agencies are doing to stop them.
NYPD, the only agency to respond, was characteristically unhelpful. But the PD at least acknowledged our query. That can’t be said of ACC, the agency most responsible for NYC’s runaway stray cat population; or MOAW, which operates, or doesn’t, exactly as Justin Brannan intended; and DEC, though in DEC’s defense there were no rogue pet squirrels to corral and decapitate.
Suffice to say, if anyone employed by New York City or New York State is investigating these particular acts of animal cruelty, they aren’t talking. That none of these agencies are asking the public for help, coupled with New York authorities’ historical indifference to animal suffering, is a solid indicator that there is no more here than meets the eye.
For now, then, the perp or perps maiming stray cats may continue to do so, safe in the knowledge that city and state law enforcers are not looking for them. Just as pigeon poachers have operated in NYC for decades without coordinated official interference. Just as dogfighting rings use stray cats as bait so routinely that New Yorkers consider it an “open secret.”
“Where there is no respect for life, there is no regard for welfare,” says no-kill expert Nathan Winograd. May as well be on the state seal.
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Here’s the latest New York companion animal news:
New York still doesn’t have a budget as Governor Kathy Hochul continues to abuse the budget process, legislators, and everyday New Yorkers by ignoring the legally-mandated April 1 deadline so she can try to attach unrelated, publicly unvetted legislation that she thinks serves her politically, no matter the cost to people who are not Kathy Hochul.
Related: Governor Affordability is also trying to cheap out on housing assistance, which is a great way to ensure cats and dogs lose pet-friendly housing and end up in trash bags.
Meanwhile, Eric Adams continues to be Eric Adams.
Related: Hell Gate and New York Focus want suggestions on what to ask NYC mayoral aspirants at the publications’ joint May 15 candidate forum. In case there’s anything on your mind.
The daughter of Chris Arsenault, who died along with more than 100 cats in the Happy Cat Sanctuary fire in Medford, wants control of the non-profit that operates the sanctuary (which isn’t how non-profits work).
Related: The Happy Cat disaster was cited as the impetus for a burgeoning new sanctuary in Steuben County.
Prosecutors charged Diane Indelicato, director of Ruff House Rescue in West Islip, with misdemeanor (rather than felony) animal cruelty after volunteers say Indelicato ignored their entreaties and allowed Tali, a sick “pit bull,” to suffer and die in a kennel rather than get him medical help.
A “temporarily homeless” man could face criminal charges after he left 30 cats in cages along Southern State Parkway in Massapequa.
Twenty-eight dogs were seized from a convicted animal abuser in Cattaraugus County and the orgs caring for the dogs need the public’s help, because it’s not as if New York electeds are gonna step up.
Related: “Multiple social media sponsors” are fundraising to help care for NYC bodega cats.
Related: The Town of Huntington will co-host a “walk and wag” fundraiser a week from Saturday to benefit a non-profit that helps dogs who are housed at the Huntington kill pound.
Related: A new thrift store to benefit Last Hope Animal Rescue & Rehabilitation in Wantagh is open for business as of Thursday.
And finally: Godspeed Lola, whose ultimate fate we hope will be as rosy as the adults currently passing her around have promised it will be.
Adoptables
NYC ACC will host mobile adoption events this weekend in Brooklyn and Manhattan.
Also in NYC, Second Chance Rescue will hold a cat and dog event in Long Island City.
Cola, pictured above, is a year-old lab mix dumped by his person (who was located and arrested) and awaits at Smithtown Animal Shelter.
Fizzy, also above — aside: featuring Fizzy and Cola at the same time was happenstance, swear — is 5 years old and may have cerebellar hypoplasia, which affects her balance. Find her at SPCA of Tompkins County.
Find New York adoptables near you on Dogs in Danger and Adopt a Pet.
The Scoop New York attempts to confirm that animals are still available before we feature them in The Weekly Poop. If an animal you see here has already found a home, consider asking about other available adoptables.
Food recalls
The FDA announced no new pet food recalls this week,
Check here for info on earlier recalls.