Dozens of dogs seized from 'deplorable' conditions

[Kenny Guido]

Dozens of dogs seized from 'deplorable' conditions

BY DANIEL WAGNER
[email protected]

Email this story

Printer friendly format
June 20, 2007, 11:28 PM EDT
A missing dog up for sale on an animal rescue Web site led Suffolk County police to a Medford house where they found more than 50 dogs in "deplorable condition" Wednesday, authorities said.

Police on the scene Wednesday night said the house was littered with trash or debris, and animal feces and urine, and that there was no water in the dogs' dishes.

Three people at the house at 3298 Rte. 112 were arrested: residents David Bernacchi, 44, and Karen Schleich, 45, and Kristin Beauchesne, 25, of Shirley.

Bernacchi was charged with animal cruelty and Schleich was charged with possession of stolen property and animal cruelty.

Beauchesne, of 214 Floyd Rd., an employee of Bide-a-Wee animal shelter in Westhampton, was charged with grand larceny for allegedly stealing the dog in East Speonk, police said. All three were expected to be arraigned Thursday.

Police gave the following account:

The dog was reported missing Saturday. A neighbor of the owner reported seeing someone in a truck with "Lucky Fund" written on it coax the dog into the vehicle. When questioned by police, Beauchesne said the dog had escaped from her backyard.

The owners were searching for their missing dog on the Internet and found a picture of the dog, a Shih Tzu which was for sale for $350.

Wednesday morning, the owners reported the discovery to police, which went to the Route 112 home where they found the dogs, many of them sickly.

Friends and nearby shopkeepers said the couple were only trying to rescue the dogs, that they constantly arrived with more packs of puppies collected from shelters in the tri-state area, Louise Castro, owner of a nearby laundromat, said.

"She lived for those dogs," Castro said. "She loved them. She would never do anything to hurt them."

The rented one-story house where the couple lived had feet-high grass, chipping paint and small, tattered American flags.

Suffolk police and veterinarians from the Suffolk Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals moved the dogs out.

A Bethpage woman who asked to be identified as Ilene said she knew the couple through her work with Lucky Fund, the purported rescue organization that Bernacchi ran.

She said Bernacchi had bankrupted himself to care of the puppies.

Officials said the dogs, which included a greyhound, Chihuahuas, a golden retriever and Rottweilers, would be available for adoption.

Staff Writer Bill Mason contributed to this report.

 

[MS KENNY GUIDO]

poor puppies.

 

[Kenny Guido]

Dogs freed from debris-filled home up for adoption

BY CHRISTINE ARMARIO
[email protected]

Email this story

Printer friendly format
June 21, 2007, 11:10 PM EDT

He had a compelling tale of rescuing a dog from a hit-and-run accident, nursing it back to health, and starting a nonprofit organization to prevent animals from being euthanized.

Indeed, David Bernacchi was so close to the dogs he took into his Medford home that he called them "family members."


"These dogs are glued to him," said a longtime friend who would only give her first name as Ilene. "I've never seen anyone interact with a dog like Dave."

But Thursday, a Suffolk official said Bernacchi's rescue was nothing but a "hellhole" where 54 dogs lived, without any food or water, in a three-bedroom home covered in feces and urine. Police believe Bernacchi and two colleagues, rather than running a shelter, were operating a for-profit enterprise that involved collecting dogs "by any means they could" -- even stealing them off the street.

Twelve of the dogs have microchips embedded under their skin to identify them, and one has a rabies tag -- signs that they once had homes. Police were running the chips through scanners Thursday to determine if they could locate their rightful owners.

"It was an absolute travesty," County Executive Steve Levy said as animal care workers stood nearby, holding some of the dogs. Chief Roy Gross of the Suffolk County Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals said the dogs would be placed in area shelters, a process that began Thursday.

The investigation began with a small shih tzu who went missing Saturday from her family's home in Speonk. Police said they believe the dog was outside when Kristin Beauchesne, 25, of Shirley, drove by on her way home from work at the Bide-A-Wee in Westhampton and took it into her vehicle. A witness gave the dog's owner a description of Beauchesne's car, which the owner passed along to the police.

Shortly thereafter, a Seventh Precinct officer came across Beauchesne's car and questioned her about the dog. She said the animal had escaped from her backyard, police said.

The dog's owners, suspicious, did a search for lost dogs on the Internet. It turned up an image of their shih tzu -- newly shaven and on sale in Medford for $350, police said.

The ad led police to Bernacchi's home and they raided it on Wednesday afternoon, arresting Bernacchi, 44, and girlfriend Karen Schleich, 45, on charges of animal cruelty. Schleich also was charged with one count of possession of stolen property.

Beauchesne was charged with grand larceny. All three were arraigned Thursday, and each pleaded not guilty.

Bernacchi was held on $27,000 cash or $54,000 bond. Schleich was held on $30,500 cash or $61,000 bond. Beauchesne was released on her own recognizance.

When officers entered the home, the stench was so pungent that they had to wear breathing apparatuses, Gross said. The dogs were everywhere; one was even hiding in the frame of a couch, Gross said.

"There was no way to walk without stepping in feces," he said. "It was just a hellhole."

Bernacchi had been operating his so-called rescue operation through a Web site, LuckyFund.org. On the site are pictures of sickly dogs they supposedly helped bring back to health and his own story about tending to monkeys, squirrels, birds and other animals with his mother as a child and then witnessing the hit-and-run that nearly left a dog dead.

"I pulled over, picked up the dog, and took it to the veterinarian," he writes on his page. "Both his front legs were broken and he needed surgery."

He named the dog "Lucky."

On the Web site, Bernacchi describes how Suffolk Life readers started sending him checks. He registered a not-for-profit organization and started taking in other dogs in need. The Web site shows pictures of a dog with a severe hernia named Romeo, a pit bull with a bad leg named Riddick, and one dog that looks like a beagle who was nearly starved to death and was called Lucy.

"These are just a few of the many stories on how your donations help save the lives of these wonderful loving animals," he writes on the page.

Gross, of the Suffolk SPCA, said the dog named "Lucky" was sent to the North Shore Animal League. "All the dogs will be lucky because all these dogs are getting adopted out," he said.

 

[Kenny Guido]

Dogs freed from debris-filled home up for adoption

BY CHRISTINE ARMARIO
[email protected]

Email this story

Printer friendly format
June 21, 2007, 11:10 PM EDT

He had a compelling tale of rescuing a dog from a hit-and-run accident, nursing it back to health, and starting a nonprofit organization to prevent animals from being euthanized.

Indeed, David Bernacchi was so close to the dogs he took into his Medford home that he called them "family members."


"These dogs are glued to him," said a longtime friend who would only give her first name as Ilene. "I've never seen anyone interact with a dog like Dave."

But Thursday, a Suffolk official said Bernacchi's rescue was nothing but a "hellhole" where 54 dogs lived, without any food or water, in a three-bedroom home covered in feces and urine. Police believe Bernacchi and two colleagues, rather than running a shelter, were operating a for-profit enterprise that involved collecting dogs "by any means they could" -- even stealing them off the street.

Twelve of the dogs have microchips embedded under their skin to identify them, and one has a rabies tag -- signs that they once had homes. Police were running the chips through scanners Thursday to determine if they could locate their rightful owners.

"It was an absolute travesty," County Executive Steve Levy said as animal care workers stood nearby, holding some of the dogs. Chief Roy Gross of the Suffolk County Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals said the dogs would be placed in area shelters, a process that began Thursday.

The investigation began with a small shih tzu who went missing Saturday from her family's home in Speonk. Police said they believe the dog was outside when Kristin Beauchesne, 25, of Shirley, drove by on her way home from work at the Bide-A-Wee in Westhampton and took it into her vehicle. A witness gave the dog's owner a description of Beauchesne's car, which the owner passed along to the police.

Shortly thereafter, a Seventh Precinct officer came across Beauchesne's car and questioned her about the dog. She said the animal had escaped from her backyard, police said.

The dog's owners, suspicious, did a search for lost dogs on the Internet. It turned up an image of their shih tzu -- newly shaven and on sale in Medford for $350, police said.

The ad led police to Bernacchi's home and they raided it on Wednesday afternoon, arresting Bernacchi, 44, and girlfriend Karen Schleich, 45, on charges of animal cruelty. Schleich also was charged with one count of possession of stolen property.

Beauchesne was charged with grand larceny. All three were arraigned Thursday, and each pleaded not guilty.

Bernacchi was held on $27,000 cash or $54,000 bond. Schleich was held on $30,500 cash or $61,000 bond. Beauchesne was released on her own recognizance.

When officers entered the home, the stench was so pungent that they had to wear breathing apparatuses, Gross said. The dogs were everywhere; one was even hiding in the frame of a couch, Gross said.

"There was no way to walk without stepping in feces," he said. "It was just a hellhole."

Bernacchi had been operating his so-called rescue operation through a Web site, LuckyFund.org. On the site are pictures of sickly dogs they supposedly helped bring back to health and his own story about tending to monkeys, squirrels, birds and other animals with his mother as a child and then witnessing the hit-and-run that nearly left a dog dead.

"I pulled over, picked up the dog, and took it to the veterinarian," he writes on his page. "Both his front legs were broken and he needed surgery."

He named the dog "Lucky."

On the Web site, Bernacchi describes how Suffolk Life readers started sending him checks. He registered a not-for-profit organization and started taking in other dogs in need. The Web site shows pictures of a dog with a severe hernia named Romeo, a pit bull with a bad leg named Riddick, and one dog that looks like a beagle who was nearly starved to death and was called Lucy.

"These are just a few of the many stories on how your donations help save the lives of these wonderful loving animals," he writes on the page.

Gross, of the Suffolk SPCA, said the dog named "Lucky" was sent to the North Shore Animal League. "All the dogs will be lucky because all these dogs are getting adopted out," he said.