MANHATTAN — A SoHo couple was charged with animal cruelty after police found 10 Yorkshire terrier puppies crammed into a "filthy" filled apartment at 307 Spring St. last week, accoridng to court papers.
This is the second time in five years that a terrier litter was rescued from the building.
In 2010, firefighters saved four terriers, one of which they revived using CPR, after a fire that started on the third floor of the building.
The NYPD could not confirm whether the puppies in both incidents were from the same apartment, an NYPD spokeswoman said.
In the most recent episode, police first visited the apartment at 307 Spring St. on Feb. 18 after getting a tip the puppies were being abused.
Officer Jessica Ruotolo, who works in conjunction with the ASPCA, spoke with a resident of the apartment, who let her inside, where she noticed the dogs in the unsanitary conditions, including three puppies that were kept in a bin with mold growing in it, according to the NYPD and a criminal complaint.
She then applied for a search warrant and went back to the residence, which prosecutors said was covered by urine and feces, with additional police and members of the ASPCA.
They removed the 10 puppies, which are now in the care of the animal advocacy organization, and arrested the residents.
One of the dogs had an infection in its rear leg from a broken fibula that had not been treated, according to court papers.
Luis Sanchez, 46, was given a desk appearance ticket for animal cruelty. Xenia Torres, 33, was charged with torturing and injuring animals.
Torres told arresting officers that she and Sanchez had been fighting over keeping the dogs for several years, according to court papers, and she had told Sanchez to get rid of them.
A Legal Aid attorney for Torres did not return an immediate request for comment.
It was not immediately clear if the couple was involved in the 2010 incident.
Responders found the puppies in 2010 after entering a third-floor apartment where the fire started.
Firefighter Jim Lanigan brought two of the dogs out of the building when he noticed one wasn't breathing.
He then preformed CPR on the puppy and it quickly started breathing again.
Workers at a nearby restaurant looked after the dogs until their owner, who identified himself at the time as "Alex Sanchez," came back to retrieve them.
The puppies saved this month were recuperating at the ASPCA, where officials were hopeful they would be available for adoption within a few months.
“Fortunately, these puppies are now getting expert care from ASPCA veterinary staff. We are hopeful that they will be healthy enough to find homes this spring,” said Howard Lawrence, senior director of the ASPCA Anti-Cruelty Group.
