A New York man was arrested on Saturday after he allegedly poured lighter fluid into a dog’s crate and set the dog on fire.
Bronx resident Christopher Maxwell, 34, is facing charges of aggravated cruelty to animals, arson and criminal mischief, the Albany Police Department said on Facebook.
Why It Matters
In New York, aggravated cruelty to animals carries a sentence of up to two years. The sentence remains the same regardless of the number of animals abused by the offender.
“Tucker’s Law” would allow a judge to order consecutive or concurrent sentences when a person is convicted of multiple counts of aggravated cruelty to animals. The bill was referred to the Senate Agriculture Committee in January.
A state Senate bill is seeking to institute stricter penalties for repeat offenders.
Stock image: Pit bull puppy laying on grass.
Aletakae/Getty Images
What To Know
On February 24, the Albany Police Department responded to a parking lot after receiving reports of a deceased dog inside a crate. The year-old female pit bull was found dead at the scene.
The department’s Special Operations Unit, which investigates incidents of animal cruelty, discovered that Maxwell left the dog inside a crate at his residence for several days without food or water. Maxwell was the dog’s owner.
When Maxwell returned home, he took the dog, who was still inside the crate, to a parking lot in the area of Fourth Avenue and Franklin Street. He allegedly poured lighter fluid on the crate and the dog and set it on fire.
Investigators are still trying to determine if the dog was alive when Maxwell started the fire, the Times Union reported.
Newsweek reached out to the Albany Police Department via email for comment.
Other cases of animal cruelty in New York have sparked calls for legislation setting tougher punishments for repeat offenders.
Senate Bill S197, also known as Tucker’s Law, was originally introduced in 2020 after a Long Island man was arrested for allegedly beating two dogs to death and the injuring a third. Under current state law, the man could only serve two years in prison, despite his alleged abuse of multiple animals.
State Senator Monica R. Martinez renewed calls for the bill’s passage in 2024 after a Riverhead man was charged with aggravated cruelty to animals, neglect of an impounded animal and other crimes. Multiple deceased dogs, goats, pigs, cows and chickens were found on his property.
What People Are Saying
New York state Senator Monica R. Martinez, in a statement last year: “Every time we hear of these animal abuse cases, we are reminded that humanity’s laws against inhumane behavior have not always kept pace with the depravity of some individuals. It is unfortunate that once again, we are in a situation calling for the strengthening of animal abuse laws after another shocking case of torture.”
What Happens Next
Maxwell is scheduled to appear in Albany City Criminal Court on March 21.
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