DA: Oyster Bay Man Sentenced in Animal Abuse Case

An Oyster Bay man was sentenced Thursday in a Nassau County Court for an animal cruelty charge, authorities said.

Lee Hughes, 40, was sentenced to 60 days in jail and three years of probation. Hughes pleaded guilty in February to failure to provide proper sustenance, an animal cruelty charge under New York State’s Agriculture and Markets Law. His probation comes with an order precluding him from owning animals for five years and an agreement to abide by spot checks by law enforcement, according the Nassau County District Attorney’s Office.

Hughes was arrested in March 2013 for failing to provide veterinary care in February 2013 to a dog suffering from an open neck wound that had become so infected and thickened that it compromised the animal’s ability to breathe.

Shawanna Hughes, Lee’s co-defendant and wife, was sentenced in May to 30 days in jail and three years probation for failing to provide proper veterinary care in October 2012 through December 2012 for a severe injury suffered by the same dog. She will also be precluded from owning animals for five years, to be enforced by spot checks by law enforcement.

The dog, a pit bull-mix named “Snowball,” was adopted by private citizens. After a few surgeries, the dog is in good condition.

Lee and Shawanna Hughes, along with veterinary assistant Reginald Smith, were arraigned in February 2014 on animal cruelty charges stemming from a separate investigation led by the New York State Attorney General’s Office for the improper amputation of the leg and ears of a pit bull puppy. The puppy in that case, “Miss Harper,” was put up for adoption after receiving care by veterinarians.