After a comprehensive investigation, detectives from the Suffolk County SPCA have charged a Melville resident with animal cruelty.
Roy Gross, Chief of the Suffolk SPCA, said that its detectives charged Peter Miller, 57, formerly of Amity Harbor but now claimed to be living in Melville, with two counts of animal cruelty and neglect.
Miller confined his male bull terrier “Buster” to a small cage in deplorable conditions for 10 straight days without removing the dog from the cage or cleaning the cage. The cage was found to have a putrid smell of rotting food, ammonia and urine, with a urine-soaked blanket and moldy food.
After a veterinarian’s examination, it was learned that Buster suffered from discomfort due to large areas of matted fur caked with excrement, urine scalding, redness and irritation all over its paws, legs, belly and hind area, severe inflammation between the dog's toes, bleeding toes, bruises and scrapes inside its mouth and on its tongue, matted fur deep in its ear canal, a chewed-up tail and eye pus.
Miller is scheduled to appear in First District Court, Central Islip, on January 16, 2023.
A criminal charge is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.