A Far Rockaway woman was indicted for allegedly throwing a small dog down the trash compactor at her seven-story apartment building, prosecutors announced Thursday.
Dominiqua Parrish, 29, was arraigned on April 24 on charges of attempted aggravated cruelty to animals, second-degree criminal mischief and overdriving, torturing or injuring an animal. She was released on her own recognizance and is due to return to court on June 26.
“The defendant is accused of one of the most unthinkable acts — tossing an animal into a garbage disposal chute,” said Chief Assistant District Attorney John M. Ryan. “It is hard to imagine that someone would do something so cruel. This office remains committed to aggressively enforcing the laws that protect all animals from those who would harm or abuse a pet.”
According to charges, at 2:50 a.m. on Jan. 29, Parrish was allegedly seen on surveillance footage throwing a small golden-haired dog into the hallway from her apartment door. Parrish was then allegedly seen picking up the dog by the neck and entering the seventh-floor garbage room, which contains a chute leading to the trash compactor. When Parrish left the garbage room, she no longer had the dog.
Another camera showed a good Samaritan and a building employee in the basement of Parrish’s building rescuing the dog from the trash compactor.
Charges say that Parrish was questioned, she allegedly admitted, in sum and substance, “I threw the dog down the incinerator because I don’t like him.”
Prosecutors say that the dog survived the fall and was taken to an ASPCA veterinarian, where the pup received treatment for cuts and bruises. A further investigation found that the dog suffered a fractured rib as a result of the fall.
