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Staten Island Woman Blinds Neighbor's Dog With Ammonia
By
Lauren Evans
Published Jun 19, 2014
Modified Jun 19, 2014
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Via CBS
By
Lauren Evans
Published Jun 19, 2014
Modified Jun 19, 2014
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A 69-year-old Staten Island woman may have permanently blinded her neighbor's dog by throwing ammonia on his face.
Irene Helale claims she doesn't know how the ammonia wound up covering the face of Rocky, a 5-year-old English bulldog. But Rocky's owners, Tina and Frank Latino, say Helale has a long history of provoking Rocky, and it came to a head on Sunday.
According to the Latinos, Rocky was partaking of his favorite activity—swimming in the family's backyard pool—around 2 p.m. when Helale began banging pots and pans to get the dog's attention. Rocky apparently stayed put, but was drawn over when Helale produced a bottle of liquid, which she began pouring on the fence. The curious pooch walked over to investigate, and that's when Helale allegedly struck, shooting the ammonia into his eyes and around his face.
The Latinos called the police and Rocky was taken to the ASPCA's Upper East Side headquarters for treatment. While he will survive the ordeal, he has developed ulcers in both eyes and now, CBS New York reports that he may be blinded permanently.
Helale admits to putting ammonia on the fence to keep the dog from jumping on it, but claims she never intentionally squirted the chemical into Rocky's face.
“Maybe it went on the fence and it dripped. I don’t know,” she told CBS. “I would never do that if the dog was there, I’m not an evil person, like I said.”
Helale has been charged with aggravated cruelty to animals and torturing and injuring animals. She faces up to two years in jail if convicted.
Tagged
animal cruelty
staten island
Lauren Evans
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