A 46-year-old Camden man is facing a felony charge after deputies say a three-week-old pit bull puppy was found with serious head injuries, including two skull fractures, at a home on State Route 13. The case escalated hours later when a second dog bit a returning deputy and a third dog that charged officers aggressively was killed by a member of the Oneida County Sheriff's Office.
911 Call Leads Deputies to State Route 13
Brian McCool was arrested after the puppy sustained two skull fractures, according to Newport Dispatch, which reported that Oneida County Sheriff Robert Maciol provided the arrest information. The Oneida County 911 Center had received a call reporting that an adult had injured a puppy, prompting sheriff's deputies to respond to the address in the town of Camden. Deputies found the three-week-old pit bull puppy with serious head injuries at the scene, and McCool was taken into custody at the home.
A Camden animal control officer transported the injured puppy to a local veterinarian, where an examination confirmed the extent of the harm. As reported by syracuse.com, the puppy received treatment and was listed in guarded but stable condition. The Oneida County Sheriff's Office suspected McCool of causing the injuries, according to WKTV.
Second Call, Then a Deputy Is Bitten
A few hours after the first call, the 911 Center received a second report that another puppy at the same address might have been injured, per the syracuse.com account. The same deputy who had responded earlier returned to the State Route 13 address to check on the report. That is when a male pit bull charged the deputy and bit several times, causing multiple puncture wounds to the leg.
The injured deputy was transported by ambulance to Rome Memorial Hospital, where treatment was provided before the deputy was released, the station's report notes. While officers were still at the scene, a female pit bull broke free from inside a camper on the property and aggressively charged law enforcement. A member of the Sheriff's Office killed the dog in response, per the same account.
Charge, Custody and What Happens to the Dogs
McCool was charged with one count of aggravated cruelty to animals, an unclassified felony under the state's Agriculture and Markets Law. The statute, according to the New York State Senate, applies when a person with no justifiable purpose intentionally causes serious physical injury to a companion animal with aggravated cruelty. McCool was released on an appearance ticket directing him to appear in Camden Town Court later in November.
The male pit bull that bit the deputy was seized by Utica Animal Control along with the Oneida County Animal Abuse Coordinator and will be quarantined for a period of time following the seizure. A second puppy reported as possibly injured at the same address is being evaluated following that report.
A Separate Camden Cruelty Case Earlier This Year
The case is not the only recent animal cruelty matter to surface in Camden. In a separate case reported by WKTV, Nicole Peck was charged with animal cruelty after a cat was found without food or water inside an apartment on Washington Street that she had vacated weeks earlier. That cat was taken to the Rome Humane Society for care, and Peck was scheduled to appear in Camden Town Court, according to the outlet's report.
