NEWS
Paragallo convicted on 33 counts of animal cruelty
Posted: Wednesday, March 10, 2010 11:37 AM
by Paul Post
New York Thoroughbred breeder-owner Ernie Paragallo was found guilty on Wednesday on 33 of 34 counts of animal cruelty in Greene County Court in Catskill, New York.
Paragallo faces up to two years in jail and $33,000 in fines—$1,000 for each count—at a sentencing hearing scheduled for May 18. He will remain free on bond until then.
Paragallo was charged following the April 8 raid of his Center Brook Farm in Climax, about 20 miles south of Albany, where animal control officials discovered more than 170 emaciated, lice-infested horses.
“The verdict issued today … sends a message that serious consequences await those who fail to provide proper care and sustenance to horses,” New York State Racing and Wagering Board Chairman John Sabini said. “All of us involved in the regulation of pari-mutuel wagering have a duty to ensure that the horrendous conditions found at Center Brook Farm … never again manifest themselves in the barns and pastures of New York State.”
The board revoked Paragallo’s racing privileges shortly after last year’s raid.
Witnesses described the animals, some of which had to be euthanized, as “walking skeletons” and “nothing but bones.”
Paragallo tried to deflect blame from himself during the six-day trial, saying his veterinarian and farm manager never told him about conditions. He said he could not visit the farm personally because he was attending to his sick father.
That did not, however, appease Judge George Pulver Jr., who rendered the decision in the non-jury trial. Paragallo’s attorney, Michael Howard, opted for a bench trial concerned that potential witnesses would have been influenced by graphic photos and pictures of starved, sickly horses. The case generated nationwide media attention.
Paragallo initially faced 35 animal cruelty charges but the court dropped one count because a witness was unavailable to testify to a specific charge. Pulver found Paragallo innocent on one of the charges.
Paul Post is a New York-based correspondent of Thoroughbred Times
