MANHATTAN (WABC) — The NYPD and ASPCA have partnered to give some dogs a new “leash” on life.
Tuesday afternoon, they provided a closer look at the results.
The dogs they rescued from inhumane situations are now on a path to a better life.
Eyewitness News met two pups who may have died without the powerhouse partnership.
The NYPD and ASPCA work together to make it less likely for people to get away with animal abuse.
The collaboration has helped 5,000 animals suspected of being abused in the last decade.
One was a 2-year-old French bulldog rescued from the Bronx last April.
Police say surveillance video showed his owner kicking and punching little Dozer.
The partnership has allowed the training of 28,000 patrol officers to recognize this kind of animal cruelty.
Some of those officers were directly involved in Dozer’s rescue. They executed a search warrant and worked with the ASPCA and assistant district attorney.
The NYPD’s Animal Cruelty Mobile Office is part of the reimagining efforts of Animal Welfare.
The ASPCA says it has seen a 300% increase in animal lives saved because of the partnership.
Another life saved was Theo’s. He’s a 3-year-old Yorkie.
He was emaciated and allegedly being fed magnets. He ended up in the hospital.
The vet had plenty of people to report this to; the NYPD’s Animal Cruelty Squad to track down the owner, and working with the ASPCA to care for pups like Theo and Dozer.
They assist with things like forensic evaluations and finding them deserving owners.
“I don’t know how anyone can take a little dog and abuse it like that. It just doesn’t make sense to me. I don’t know why people are like that,” said Bernadette Griffin, Dozer’s new owner. “But, I was happy I was able to give him a happy home.”
“It’s a huge impact because you have to remember, now we have almost, what, 30,000 eyes on the street enforcing animal cruelty, where before when it was just the ASPCA , they just had a small department trying to cover this entire city,” said Lt. Adrian Ashby, of the Animal Cruelty Investigation Squad.
Dozer’s original owner was sentenced to a 10-year animal ban after pleading guilty to a misdemeanor.
His new owner can’t be more thankful for the partnership that allowed for Dozer’s rescue but feels the penalties for animal abuse should generally be a lot stiffer.
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