Owner of Emaciated Dog Charged with Neglect

Puddin was found starving, chained and covered in sores inside a Queens apartment. Her owner has been charged with neglect. -Photo by Queens DA

Queens Voice

April 2, 2024

QUEENS - A Queens woman was charged with animal neglect after cops found her emaciated dog chained in her apartment covered in soars and urine, prosecutors said. 

Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that Evadne Harrington was arraigned on animal abuse charges after police discovered a dog chained to a small box without food or water inside her Far Rockaway apartment. The malnourished animal, whose coat was damp from urine and covered in filth, was rushed to a veterinary hospital and has been recovering since being found December 21.

District Attorney Katz said: “The abuse of voiceless, defenseless creatures is unconscionable. Puddin thankfully was rescued from her miserable circumstances. We look forward to holding her abuser accountable.”

Harrington, 41, of Seagirt Boulevard in Far Rockaway, was arraigned on charges of overdriving; torturing and injuring animals/failure to provide sustenance; and failure to provide proper food and drink to an impounded animal.

Harrington faces up to a year in jail if convicted. Criminal Court Judge Jeffrey Gershuny ordered her to return to court on July 1.

According to the charges:

• On December 21, at approximately 5:20 p.m., police responding to a request for medical aid went to Harrington’s apartment, where they found a black and white, mixed-breed female dog named Puddin in a corner.

• Puddin was tied to a box-like structure with a chain of approximately six inches, making it impossible for her to move freely. There was a metal, collar-like device secured to the dog’s neck and face by a padlock. There were neither food nor water bowls near Puddin, nor dog food in the apartment.

• Puddin was emaciated, her spine, ribs and hipbones protruding. The dog’s coat was damp from urine, patchy and covered in dirt and dander.

• When officers freed Puddin from the chain, she immediately ran to the bathroom and drank water from the toilet. Officers used bolt cutters to remove the padlocked collar and observed a thickened scar with scabbing across the top of Puddin’s muzzle.

• Harrington gave officers permission to take the animal for veterinary treatment and relinquished ownership of the dog to the ASPCA.

• A forensic veterinarian determined Puddin was emaciated and suffered from widespread skin infections, hair loss and various injuries. Puddin was treated for her injuries and is currently in foster care, ready for adoption.

The investigation was conducted by Police Officer Kayleigh Specht of the 101st Precinct under the supervision of Sergeant Marshall Winston.