A 68-year-old Queens man has been charged with animal cruelty after a video emerged showing two dogs tied to the trunk of his car, struggling to keep pace as he drove. The incident occurred on Sunday near the intersection of 11th Street and 43rd Avenue in Long Island City.
Dan Bujor faces charges including overdriving, torturing and injuring animals, and driving without a valid licence. If convicted, he faces up to one year in jail, according to the Queens District Attorney’s Office.
Witnesses watched in shock as Marzipan, a nearly two-year-old German Shepherd, and Nougat, a pit bull estimated to be two to four years old, were forced to run behind a red Volkswagen Passat. Both animals were visibly struggling, police said. Bujor allegedly told officers, “I tied the dogs to the car because I did not want them pooing inside the car.”
Authorities said the pit bull became unhooked, at which point Bujor grabbed both dogs, put them in the car and fled. A witness recorded the incident and alerted police, who found Bujor on a street corner holding the dogs by their leashes. He could not produce a valid driver’s licence.
The dogs were taken to the ASPCA animal hospital in Manhattan. The German Shepherd is being treated for a ruptured eardrum, while the pit bull suffered bruised paws, skin inflammation and diarrhoea. “We are grateful that the dogs survived and their alleged abuser will now be held accountable,” said District Attorney Melinda Katz.
Bujor is due back in court on March 5. ASPCA Vice President Howard Lawrence called the footage disturbing and noted that in the last two weeks alone, the ASPCA has taken in nearly 20 animals from 18 suspected cruelty situations.
