Manorville dog breeder arrested for animal neglect
John Kowal allegedly left animals alone for days after a recent snowstorm which led to insufficient heat, frozen water and dirty cages.
John Kowal, owner of Blue Ribbon Puppies, allegedly had 23 dogs and puppies on his property.
Court documents say inspectors paid the breeder an unannounced visit on Feb. 24, and they found the dogs neglected.
Documents say when inspectors arrived, there was snow obstructing the building where the dogs were living, proving no one had been inside to take care of them in at least 48 hours. There were dirty cages, frozen water, no heat and dogs crammed into spaces where they couldn’t properly move around. Many dogs didn’t have proper vaccines, licensing or exercise plans.
Neighbors say there are still dogs on the property, and they can hear them barking all day long.
“This issue has been rampant,” said John Di Leonardo with Humane Long Island. “And for decades people have been getting away with abusing animals on Long Island. So there’s a lot to clean up. We need to take this seriously and we need stronger penalties at the state level.”
On March 9, police executed a search warrant on Kowal’s property and got veterinary care for several of the animals. Kowal was arraigned on March 11, and he’s now facing 23 counts of animal neglect. He was released and is due back in court March 24.
Neighbors say there are still dogs on the property, and they can hear them barking all day long.
