SPCA Enforcement Arrests Hastings Man for Animal Cruelty

Lester Kidd of Hastings was arrested for allegedly harboring fighting dogs, the Briarcliff Manor-based  announced today.

Kidd was charged with animal cruelty, a misdemeanor, after his arrest on Sunday, Sept. 11.

According to a statement from the Ernest Lungaro, director of humane law enforcement for the SPCA of Westchester, police had undergone an investigation into a facility believed to have been using fighting dogs.

Yonkers Animal Control contacted Lungaro after retrieving two pit bulls, a male and a female, from the facility.

Dr. Jioa, a Mount Vernon veterinarian, said wounds on the two pit bulls were consistent with marks usually found in dog fighting.

The female's wounds were especially fresh and serious, Dr. Jioa noted.

Yonkers Police and Lungaro said Kidd admitted to harboring the fighting dogs, which have since been taken to the Yonkers Animal Shelter.

The SPCA of Westchester requests anyone with information regarding animalcruelty or neglect should contact the SPCA’s Animal Cruelty Hotline at 914-941-7797. Calls are confidential.