DA: Owner of neglected dog with live maggots arrested
Dong Wang, 47, of New Hyde Park, was arraigned Wednesday on charges of neglecting his Tibetan mastiff, prosecutors said. Credit: NCDA
A New Hyde Park man is facing criminal charges after prosecutors said he neglected his dog so much that it was infested with thousands of live maggots when he brought the malnourished Tibetan mastiff to a shelter last month to surrender it.
Authorities charged Dong Wang, 47, with offenses that include a misdemeanor count of failing to provide proper sustenance to an animal and a felony count of offering a false instrument for filing, the Nassau district attorney's office said Thursday.
The 18-month-old male dog, whose name translates to "Black Tiger" in English, had maggots living in skin ulcers and was 30 to 40 pounds underweight when Wang brought the pet to the Town of North Hempstead Animal Shelter on July 20, according to authorities.
They said the dog was "in severe physical distress," with a fever and labored breathing.
Wang also lied on surrender paperwork by saying the dog, which was filthy and matted, was a stray, according to prosecutors, who said the dog had since been nursed back to health.
After Wang's shelter visit, authorities that evening seized two poodle puppies and another Tibetan mastiff they found living in poor conditions at his home, prosecutors said.
Court records show a judge conditionally released Wang, who is represented by Nassau County's Legal Aid Society, to probation after his Hempstead district court arraignment Wednesday.
Authorities said he entered a plea of not guilty.
'A basis for somebody to bring a lawsuit' A Newsday investigation found Hempstead Town issued 80,000 school bus camera tickets in districts that did not authorize the program. NewsdayTV's Virginia Huie and Newsday investigative reporter Payton Guion have the story.
'A basis for somebody to bring a lawsuit' A Newsday investigation found Hempstead Town issued 80,000 school bus camera tickets in districts that did not authorize the program. NewsdayTV's Virginia Huie and Newsday investigative reporter Payton Guion have the story.
