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Nuno Afonso-Gouveia of Yonkers was arrested on Saturday, April 6, by Putnam County SPCA officers after his dog "Snoopy," was found running loose near the Meadowlands Auto Dealership on Route 6, in Carmel, said Ken Ross, Chief of the Putnam County SPCA.
The Good Samaritan observed that the dog’s barking collar was extremely tight and when it was removed, they found three large holes and raw skin where the fur had been worn away by the barking collar’s three prongs causing gaping holes in the dog’s neck, Ross said.
Snoopy was also found to have untreated fly/mite bites in his ears, a healing gash on his back and possibly a small tumor on his right hind leg, Ross said.
He was also filthy and smelled bad, according to Ross.
SPCA officers quickly responded and took custody of Snoopy, and had the injured beagle transported to a veterinarian hospital where he is currently being held and treated, Ross said.
Afonso-Gouveia was charged with the alleged crime of animal neglect.
"We have seen this type of injury many times in the past," Ross said. "Pet owners need to check their pet’s collars frequently so this sort of injury doesn’t happen, especially if they are collars that transmit a shock to the animal (invisible fence and barking collars). When the collar’s prongs penetrate through the animal’s fur, the shock is often to the muscle which causes pain and increases the risk of infection.”
Afonso-Gouveia was released and is scheduled to appear in court on April 23.
If you know of an animal being abused, contact the Putnam County SPCA 24 Hour Hotline at 845-520-6915 or www.spcaputnam.org
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