A Queens man has been indicted on animal cruelty charges after a harrowing incident where he was seen dragging two dogs behind his car. The cruelty was caught on video and the suspect, identified as Dan Bujor of Long Island City, faced arraignment on various charges including two counts of overdriving, torturing, and injuring animals, according to the Queens District Attorney’s Office.
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz shared details of the January 4 event, where around 6 p.m., onlookers spotted the red Volkswagen Passat maneuvering through 11th Street and 43rd Avenue, with the canines, Marzipan, a German shepherd, and Nougat, a pit bull, struggling behind it, Bujor later put both dogs in the vehicle and drove away when one of the dogs got unhooked and an NYPD officer found Bujor with the dogs shortly thereafter although he was unable to provide a valid driver’s license. Bujor is now facing legal repercussions and if convicted, could serve up to a year in jail.
"The footage of this incident is deeply disturbing and serves as a stark reminder of the persistent issue of animal abuse in New York City," said Howard Lawrence, ASPCA Vice President of Humane Law Enforcement, expressing both dismay and gratitude for the swift response by the NYPD and the Queens District Attorney’s Office for their support. Both dogs were given medical attention, with Marzipan suffering a ruptured eardrum and Nougat facing abrasions and skin inflammation, after being taken under the care of the ASPCA in Manhattan.
Queens Criminal Court Judge Anthony Battisti has scheduled a return to court for Bujor on March 5, and Assistant District Attorney Zoe Marks of the Queens DA’s Domestic Violence Bureau is prosecuting the case with inherited supervision of Assistant District Attorney Nicole Reid, Interim Section Chief of the Animal Cruelty Prosecutions Unit, and Assistant District Attorney Mary Kate Quinn, with the added oversight from Executive Assistant District Attorney for Special Prosecutions Joyce A. Smith. The NYPD’s 108th Precinct conducted the investigation with the ASPCA providing ongoing care for the recovered animals.
