Press Release

Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that Ravon Service was charged today with torturing and failing to provide food and drink to animals in connection with a Rego Park police stop Saturday.

District Attorney Katz said: “Thankfully, these voiceless, defenseless victims have been rescued from their miserable circumstances. Animal cruelty is unacceptable and illegal and we will hold abusers accountable.”

Service, 27, of Ashton Road in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, was arraigned in Queens Criminal Court on eight counts of failure to provide proper food and drink to an impounded animal; eight counts of overdriving, torturing and injuring animals/failure to provide sustenance; seven counts of carrying animals in a cruel manner and traffic violations. Judge Marty Lentz ordered Service to return to Court on February 10. If convicted, the defendant faces up to two years in prison.

According to the charges, on November 26, at approximately 4:00 p.m., the defendant was stopped by a police officer near the intersection of Woodhaven Boulevard and Furmanville Avenue for having a loud engine exhaust on the 2001 Lexus he was driving. The police officer observed a large dog in the back seat of the vehicle. The dog appeared emaciated, showing protruding bones on its ribs, hips, and back areas. A plastic storage bin in the backseat of the car contained seven puppies. The bin, which was lidded, did not provide an adequate air supply and did not contain food or water.

The animals were taken to a local veterinary hospital where the adult female dog was treated for malnourishment and the seven puppies were treated for diarrhea symptoms.

The investigation was conducted by Police Officer Kristen Candelaria of the 104^th Precinct.

Assistant District Attorney Lauren T, Michalski, Section Chief of the District Attorney’s Animal Cruelty Prosecutions Unit, is prosecuting the case under the supervision of Unit Chief Nicoletta J. Caferri.