People v. Walsh
City of New York Criminal Court
859 N.Y.S.2d 906, 19 Misc. 3d 1105(A) (2008)

- Written by Sean Carroll, JD
Facts
Walsh (defendant) was charged with abuse of her cat under a statute that stated that any person who “deprives any animal of necessary sustenance, food or drink, or causes” any animal to be abused was guilty of a crime. The statute also prohibited neglect that caused an animal to suffer. In a deposition, a witness stated that Walsh had told him that she had never taken the cat to the vet despite patently observable ailments, including a bleeding, clearly injured paw. Walsh filed a motion to dismiss on the assertion that taking a cat to the vet is not necessary sustenance.
Rule of Law
Issue
Holding and Reasoning (Simpson, J.)
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