A Coram man was arrested Saturday and charged with animal cruelty after his family dog was found to be emaciated and deprived of food and water, Suffolk County animal cruelty investigators said.
The dog, Queenie, an adult female Cane Corso, has garnered international attention after being rescued last week by Guardians of Rescue, a local non-profit group. Rescuers said she was found lying on her side, not moving and locked inside a bedroom without food or water. She was rushed to a nearby animal hospital for treatment. “This poor girl was left to starve and dehydrate to death allegedly by a spiteful ex-husband,” read a photo caption on the rescue group’s Facebook page.
Suffolk County SPCA investigators arrested Michael Faulkner, 26, of 14B Country Club Drive on animal cruelty charges. A statement announcing his arrest indicated that Faulkner was responsible for taking care of Queenie.
After her rescue, Queenie was taken to Grady Animal Hospital in Sayville. She was examined by Dr. Mark Caporaso and diagnosed as being “severely emaciated,” authorities said. “She was basically a skeleton.”
Rescuers said a husband and wife, who are in the process of a divorce, owned the dog. The wife reportedly moved out of the home in early February with her son and went back last Saturday to pick up her belongings, when she found Queenie lying on the ground of a back bedroom. She called rescuers and asked not be named publically.
Faulkner was charged with animal cruelty, a misdemeanor, and faces up to one year in jail if convicted. Arraignment details were not immediately available.
Stay tuned to Examiner.com for the latest updates on this developing story.
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