Maggot-covered food, blistering heat: Huskies’ heartbreaking circumstances detailed in the man’s appearance on Staten Island

STATEN ISLAND, NY — The trailer that kept about two dozen huskies in a Tompkinsville lot had feces and urine on the floor — anywhere a dog could sit or lie — and a window opened just an inch for air. in sweltering temperatures, according to court documents filed with the Richmond County Criminal Court detailing the horrific conditions.

A gray-and-white husky named Zeus was also chained to a fence at the Van Duzerstraat site, leaving his neck without fur and seeping blood and kitty, the indictment read. The food at the site was rotting and crawling with live maggots and dogs were reportedly left with foul-smelling and brackish standing water in a children’s pool.

One of the female dogs had a small of eight puppies trapped under the trailer and one had died, authorities say, and all the animals were forced to endure exorbitant levels of heat as Staten Island baked in high temperatures for the past few weeks.

Victor Quinteros, 54, was charged Monday with aggravated cruelty to animals, 24 counts of excessive driving, torturing and injuring animals, 24 counts of failing to provide proper food and drink to a confiscated animal, multiple counts of criminal mischief and one count of third-degree criminal manipulation.

The charges against Quinteros said the injuries were inflicted on the dogs in a “depraved and sadistic manner”.

Quinteros was arrested last week by New York City sheriff deputies who, along with ASPCA workers, raided a fenced area along the 100 block of Van Duzer Street.

Court documents allege that on July 28, 2022, Quinteros told a law enforcement official, “I run an animal rescue here” on the property hidden by a tarpaulin-covered barbed-wire fence. The next day, officials were armed with a search warrant to launch an attack on the site.

The dogs appeared to be malnourished with their fur and their paws covered in feces, and the same dark-colored water the dogs drank from was also used by the animals to clean themselves, the charge alleged.

The huskies were kept in “extremely decrepit conditions,” the indictment said.

Quinteros was arraigned and had a $20,000 cash bond or $75,000 bail.

A spokesperson for the Legal Aid Society — a public defender with the organization assigned to Quinteros’ case — declined to comment earlier.

Weeks prior to the raid, Quinteros allegedly assaulted a person in the same location, an NYPD spokesman said Sunday.

A source familiar with that arrest said he was accused of punching a 40-year-old woman in the face after suspecting her of peeking into the property. In that case, the defendant is charged with assault and second-degree intimidation, according to court records.