Nearly two dozen dogs and cats removed from a squalid Ocean Hill apartment are now looking for new homes, with ten of the rescued pups currently available for adoption through Muddy Paws Rescue. The animals were pulled from the Herkimer Street residence after the ASPCA and NYPD found them covered in urine and feces and kept in crates.
According to News 12 Brooklyn, officers removed 27 total animals from the Ocean Hill home in June — 21 dogs, four cats, one pigeon, and one deceased puppy found inside. Police arrested 45-year-old resident Jessica Styles, according to the outlet's earlier reporting cited in the case file.
A complaint about neglect and a foul smell preceded law enforcement's intervention. The dogs went on to receive medical care from the ASPCA, and forensic veterinary exams later revealed severe flea infestations, underweight conditions among the younger pups, and untreated dental disease in the older dogs, according to the Brooklyn Eagle.
A Legal Case Still Playing Out
The animals received medical and behavioral care. Meanwhile, the criminal case against Styles is being prosecuted by the Brooklyn District Attorney's Office through its Animal Crimes Unit, with District Attorney Eric Gonzalez publicly stating his office's commitment to holding individuals accountable for severe animal neglect.
The NYPD and ASPCA have partnered since 2014, with the ASPCA conducting forensic work, according to CBS News.
Part of a Larger Pattern in Brooklyn
An ASPCA study examining NYPD partnership cases between 2013 and 2022 found that dogs accounted for 80% of cases handled in New York City. The same research suggested cat abuse may be significantly underreported despite cats making up 43% of national pet populations.
Brooklyn has seen similar large-scale seizures in recent months. Hoodline previously reported that in March, ASPCA and NYPD officers rescued more than 20 Pomeranian-type dogs and puppies from a Greenpoint apartment where conditions were similarly described as filthy and covered in urine and feces, with those animals also funneled into ASPCA rehabilitation before adoption.
Resources for Would-Be Adopters
Now that ten of the Ocean Hill pups are available for adoption through Muddy Paws Rescue, prospective owners have at least one financial cushion to lean on. Veterinary clinic network Bond Vet partners with Muddy Paws Rescue to offer a $500 veterinary credit to anyone who adopts a dog through the organization, helping offset initial care costs, according to BKReader. Bond Vet operates several Brooklyn locations, including in Bedford-Stuyvesant and Clinton Hill.
The need for adopters extends well beyond this single case. More than 70,000 pets enter New York City animal shelters every year, per the Mayor's Alliance for NYC's Animals, a volume that keeps municipal shelters and independent rescues under persistent strain as they absorb both routine surrenders and large-scale seizures like the one on Herkimer Street.
