QUEENS, NY _ Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz today announced that Elizabeth Grant, 53, has been charged with failure to provide proper food and drink to animals and other charges for allegedly keeping more than 50 animals in unsanitary living conditions. Officials who visited the residence where Grant and her elderly mother live allegedly observed cats, dogs and other pets in a filthy environment with feces all over the floors and an overwhelming odor of ammonia from urine.
District Attorney Katz said, “Pets are not inanimate toys. They are living, breathing members of our households who, at a bare minimum, deserve to be cared for and kept healthy. Instead, this defendant is alleged to have kept her pets in filth with unaddressed diseases and other ailments.”
Grant, of 82nd Street in Jackson Heights, was arraigned last night before Queens Criminal Court Judge David Kirschner on a 54-count complaint charging her with failure to provide proper food and drink to impounded animal and criminal contempt in the second degree. The defendant is also charged in a second 87-count complaint and was arraigned on failure to provide proper food and drink to impounded animal, criminal contempt in the second degree and overdriving, torturing and injuring animals/failing to provide sustenance charges on November 28, 2021, before Queens Criminal Court Judge Toni Cimino. The defendant has been ordered to return to Court on March 2, 2022. If convicted, the defendant faces up to 3 years in prison.
According to the charges, on November 26th, a New York City Adult Protective Services employee went to the home of the defendant to do a wellness check on Grant’s elderly mother. While in the home, the official allegedly observed dogs, cats, turtles, guinea pigs, and a rabbit in the home. The employee also stated that upon entering the home, he was struck by the heavy smell of ammonia from urine and could see excessive feces all over the floor.
Continuing, said DA Katz, the employee also observed the animals were allegedly without food or water. Their coats appeared to be matted with dirt and feces and discharge was observed in the animals’ noses and eyes. Many of the pets were emaciated and one dog had blood stains around its mouth. Another canine was observed to have a rash under its eye.
The DA said members of Animal Care Centers went to the home on November 26th and rescued a total of 29 animals, but some of the pets scurried away and could not be captured. Yesterday, officers of the 115th NYPD Precinct executed a Court-authorized warrant to enter the defendant’s 82nd Street home where the other 23 cats were rescued along with eight fish. Members of the ASCPC were present and removed those animals and took them into their care and custody for forensic evaluation.
District Attorney Katz said defendant Grant is banned from owning, harboring or having possession of any animals per a Court order that remains in effect through April 30, 2028.
The investigation was conducted by police officers assigned to the New York City Police Department’s 115 Precinct.
Assistant District Attorney Nicoletta J. Caferri, Chief of the District Attorney’s Animal Cruelty Prosecutions Unit, with the assistance of Section Chief Katherine Triffon, are prosecuting the case, under the supervision of Executive Assistant District Attorney of Major Crimes Daniel A. Saunders.