On April 20, authorities received a complaint about two potentially abandoned dogs at a residence in Stanley. The property, located at 1910 Route 5&20, had been vacated by the tenants a month prior around March 20.
Upon arrival, officials found a dog looking through the door of the trash-filled home, which is owned by Casella Waste Management.
A representative from Waste Management gained access to the property, where officers discovered no food or water for the animals. Feces littered the floor, and a second dog, deceased and decomposing, was found in an upstairs bedroom. Neither dog had access to sustenance, and it appears the deceased dog had starved to death.
New York State Police were called to assist in the investigation and subsequently arrested the suspect, Jose J. Figueroa, 29, of Farmington on charges of aggravated cruelty to an animal. The remains of the deceased dog, a 4-year-old male German shepherd named Apex, were transported to Cornell University for a necropsy.
The second dog, a 2-year-old female Husky mix named Midnight, was taken to the Ontario County Humane Society. After being examined by a veterinarian, she is said to be recovering from the traumatic incident.
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