Suffolk County District Attorney Raymond A. Tierney has announced initial results from "Operation Bloodhound," a collaborative effort between the DA’s Biological, Environmental, and Animal Safety Team (BEAST) and the Suffolk County Police Department. The operation aims to enforce laws and court mandates related to animal cruelty prosecutions. Law enforcement conducted numerous compliance actions against individuals accused or previously convicted of animal cruelty offenses. The Suffolk County Police Department's Warrant Squad played a role in apprehending defendants with active warrants for failing to appear in court on charges of alleged animal neglect or abuse.
"Our fight to enforce laws against animal cruelty is not confined to courtroom walls," stated District Attorney Tierney. "We will work to ensure that defendants who disregard court orders and court appearances are found and brought to justice. I want to thank the Suffolk County Police Department Warrant Squad in particular for helping to make ‘Operation Bloodhound’ a sustained and impactful success."
Suffolk County Police Acting Commissioner Robert Waring emphasized the importance of protecting defenseless animals, saying, "It is up to law enforcement to ensure defenseless animals who have no voice are protected especially from those who have no right to own them." He commended the efforts of both the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office and the department’s Warrant Enforcement Section officers.
As part of the operation, BEAST detectives arrested four convicted animal abusers for failing to renew their registration with Suffolk County’s Animal Abuse Offender Registry. Three had previously pleaded guilty to dogfighting charges. Detectives also performed unannounced visits at defendants' homes for compliance checks with criminal court sentences or orders.
In one instance, a woman from Calverton was arrested for possessing eight dogs despite a court order prohibiting her from having additional animals during her pending case. A man from Mastic Beach faced similar charges after being found with four cats, violating a ten-year prohibition on owning animals following an earlier conviction.
The police apprehended two defendants on outstanding warrants for evading pending criminal proceedings, adding bail jumping charges alongside their original cruelty charges. One defendant allegedly stole a kitten from the Southampton Animal Shelter Foundation and resisted arrest by attempting violence against officers.
Many other defendants checked during this initiative were found compliant with court orders or probation conditions.
Operation Bloodhound remains ongoing as authorities continue efforts to ensure adherence to legal requirements concerning animal cruelty cases. Assistant District Attorneys assigned to BEAST under Jed L. Painter and Brooke Salvatore supervise these prosecutions.