Two pit bull terrier mixes have been rehabilitated and are seeking a home since the NYPD rescued them from deplorable conditions in a Brooklyn backyard, according to the ASPCA.
A police officer from East New York’s 75th Precinct found the dogs Rocky and Stanley, as well as two other malnourished pit bulls, with cuts on their bodies behind a home on Fulton Street, near Pine Street, on the evening of May 23, said the Brooklyn district attorney’s office. Police had responded to a report of four dogs fighting and being kept in terrible conditions.
The starving dogs were living in a small, concrete yard with an almost empty bowl of water near a hut-like structure that had an old, dirty mattress with coil springs sticking out of it, as well as dirty rags, court papers state.
Stanley, 3 years old, is a white and tan pit bull that had a severe cut to his leg that was almost penetrating his bone, and had to have several surgeries once he was rescued. Rocky was found with scratches and cuts on his body.
“We see a wide variety of injuries from extreme starvation to broken bones, debilitating skin diseases and even matting so painful it requires medical attention,” said Dr. Lindsay Thorson, a veterinarian who works at the ASPCA Animal Hospital’s Animal Recovery Center in Manhattan.
“Stanley’s wound was very serious and required multiple surgeries over the course of several months to heal properly,” Thorson said. Fortunately, he’s a young, healthy dog who maintained a wonderful disposition through treatment and was able to heal fully. The way he runs and plays today, you’d never know he was ever injured.”
The dogs’ 27-year-old owner, Jainauth Sookram, was arrested and charged with overdriving, torturing, and injuring animals, according to the Brooklyn District Attorney. The other two pit bulls have been rescued and rehabilitated, but Rocky and Stanley still need a home.
Animal behavior counselor Alfonso Sawadan said Stanley likes to play tug, and knows how to sit and shake. “His favorite pastime is having his belly rubbed and cuddling with a human friend,” he said. “He is addicted to human affection”
Rocky is a polite and gentle dog who likes to walk by the side of his human companions, and enjoys playing fetch with tennis balls, according to the ASPCA.
Anyone interested in adopting Stanley or Rockey can reach out to the ASPCA’s Adoption Center on East 92nd Street, between York Avenue and First Avenue. More information is available at aspca.org.
