Target: Peter J. Degnan, District Attorney of Allegany County, New York
Goal: Prosecute to the fullest extent of the law the two individuals charged with allegedly torturing, injuring, and neglecting animals, and ensure that upon conviction they are placed on Allegany County’s Animal Abuser Registry.
Two women have been charged with torturing, injuring, and failing to feed animals, as well as neglecting impounded animals, following an incident investigated jointly by local police and an Allegany County SPCA Animal Cruelty Investigator. The charges — one count each of Torture/Injure/Not Feed Animals and one count each of Neglect of Impounded Animals — represent serious accusations of deliberate cruelty and sustained neglect against animals who had no means of protecting themselves or seeking help. Both accused are due to appear in court to answer for what they have allegedly done.
The fact that this case required the involvement of both local police and an SPCA Animal Cruelty Investigator underscores the seriousness of what investigators allegedly found. Animals who are tortured, injured, deliberately starved, and neglected while impounded are among the most vulnerable victims imaginable — entirely dependent on their caretakers and with no ability to escape or call for help. Allegany County has demonstrated its commitment to protecting animals by formally establishing an Animal Abuser Registry in December 2025, which mandates that all those convicted of offenses such as these be placed on the registry and prohibited from possessing companion animals in the future.
That registry exists precisely for cases like this one. The Allegany County District Attorney’s Office must now ensure that the prosecution of these charges is pursued with the full force of the law, so that the animals allegedly victimized in this case receive justice and so that the community is protected from those who purportedly commit acts of animal cruelty. Sign this petition to demand that both accused individuals face the maximum penalties available and, upon conviction, be entered into Allegany County’s Animal Abuser Registry.
PETITION LETTER:
Dear DA Degnan,
We are writing to urge your office to prosecute to the fullest extent of the law the two individuals recently charged in connection with the torture, injury, deliberate starvation, and neglect of impounded animals following a joint investigation by Wellsville Police and an Allegany County SPCA Animal Cruelty Investigator. Each of the accused faces one count of Torture/Injure/Not Feed Animals and one count of Neglect of Impounded Animals — charges that, if the allegations are borne out, reflect a profound and deliberate failure of the most basic duty of care owed to animals entirely dependent on human protection.
Allegany County took an important and commendable step in December 2025 by formally establishing an Animal Abuser Registry, ensuring that those convicted of exactly these kinds of offenses are permanently prohibited from possessing companion animals and are publicly identified as a risk to animal welfare. This registry sends a clear message that animal cruelty will not be tolerated in this community — but that message is only as powerful as the prosecutions that support it. We urge your office to ensure that this case results in convictions that carry the maximum available penalties under New York law.
We respectfully but firmly demand that your office pursue this prosecution vigorously and that, if convicted, both individuals be entered into the Allegany County Animal Abuser Registry as provided by local law. The animals allegedly tortured, injured, starved, and neglected in this case had no voice and no recourse — it is now the justice system’s responsibility to speak for them.
Sincerely,
[Your Name Here]
Photo credit: Lucignolobrescia
