Carlos Lauro, a 76-year-old resident of Riverhead, was sentenced to one year in jail following his guilty plea for the fatal shooting of a German Shepherd. The Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office, led by Raymond A. Tierney, and local law enforcement agencies swiftly brought the case to a close, resulting in Lauro’s conviction and sentencing, which also includes a 20-year ban on owning or possessing animals.
The case, handled by the District Attorney’s Biological, Environmental, and Animal Safety Team (BEAST), in collaboration with the Suffolk County and Riverhead Police Departments, began after a one-year-old German Shepherd named “Blitzkrieg” was discovered paralyzed from a gunshot wound to the head. The incident occurred on Lauro’s property, where a dead goat and another German Shepherd, “Cranky,” had previously been shot by Lauro.
Upon investigating Lauro’s residence, BEAST detectives found several animals, including five Belgian Malinois/Dutch Shepherd mix dogs, a Border Collie, two German Shepherds, and numerous farm animals. Some deceased animals were also observed at the scene.
Lauro was arrested on January 11, 2024, following the execution of a search warrant. He pled guilty on January 18, 2024, before Riverhead Town Justice, the Honorable Lori M. Hulse, to the unjustified killing of an animal and an unrelated charge of Aggravated Unlicensed Operation of a Motor Vehicle in the Third Degree. The guilty plea also resulted in the surrender of all surviving animals owned by Lauro.
John Di Leonardo, anthrozoologist and Executive Director of Humane Long Island, lauded the swift action of the authorities. He emphasized the organization’s efforts in rescuing animals from Lauro’s property and advocated for veganism as a means to prevent animal cruelty.
Lauro, represented by the Legal Aid Society of Suffolk County, will serve his sentence throughout 2024, marking a significant legal response to animal cruelty in Suffolk County.