Over 20 Dogs Rescued From Filthy Brooklyn Apartment In Cruelty Case, ASPCA Says

BROOKLYN, NY — A Brooklyn man has been charged with animal cruelty after investigators found 23 Pomeranians living in their own feces and urine inside a filthy apartment, ASPCA officials said.

Detectives charged 33-year-old Mohamed Charrad with several counts of torturing and injuring animals (or failure to provide sustenance) and failure to provide proper food and drink to impounded animals.

NYPD officers discovered more than 15 puppies and several adult Pomeranians crammed into a filthy, stench-filled Greenpoint apartment, living amid their own waste with no immediate access to food or water.

At the request of the NYPD and Brooklyn District Attorney’s Office, all 23 dogs were taken to a local ASPCA facility, where they received overnight veterinary care at partner clinics before being transported Sunday to a Manhattan site for forensic exams, medical and behavioral assessments and treatment.

The ASPCA is also assisting authorities with the ongoing criminal investigation, officials said.

“No animal should ever have to suffer because of neglect or indifference. Keeping dogs in filthy conditions without adequate food or water is against the law, and our Animal Crimes Unit takes these cases very seriously,” Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez said. “I am grateful to the ASPCA for the compassionate care they are providing to these dogs and for their continued assistance as this investigation proceeds.”

ASPCA officials said many of the dogs have since been transferred to the organization’s Recovery & Rehabilitation Center in Pawling, New York, a state-of-the-art facility dedicated to providing specialized care for dogs rescued in partnership with the NYPD.

“The ASPCA Recovery & Rehabilitation Center was developed to provide the space, time and specialized care needed for animals removed from situations like this Brooklyn case,” said Elizabeth Brandler, vice president of ASPCA Cruelty Response.

Brandler added that many animals taken into ASPCA care through the NYPD partnership suffer physical and psychological wounds from alleged abuse and neglect, often requiring extended treatment until ownership is legally resolved after criminal charges.

Court records show Charrad has pleaded not guilty to the charges and is due back in court on Feb. 10.