Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
News
Manhattan Man Accused Of Secretly Torturing Roommate's Cat For Months
By
Jen Chung
Published Feb 26, 2016
Modified Feb 26, 2016
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
Never miss a story
Email address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .
By
Jen Chung
Published Feb 26, 2016
Modified Feb 26, 2016
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
We rely on your support to make local news available to all
Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
A 24-year-old man was arrested for allegedly torturing his roommate's cat while the roommate was at work. The cat, named Lucy, was found with "fractured hind legs and bruises on her back" as well as broken facial and pelvis bones, broken teeth, "ripped out" nails and burns on her tail.
Lucy's owner, a woman, told the Daily News that she met her roommate Declan Garrity, who is a financial analyst at Barclays, via Craigslist: "I thought he was the best roommate I ever had. It’s bizarre."
The owner said her suspicions grew when Lucy began avoiding Garrity and hiding in the closet. She first noticed an injury to the car in late January, and things escalated quickly.
“She was noticeably staying away from (Garrity),” said the owner. “I thought it was weird. I was like, ‘How can we get the cat to like him?’ Your mind doesn’t go straight to ‘He’s doing something to my cat.’”
Then, last weekend, she noticed that Lucy was hiding under the bed, cowering, "She was crying, hair was missing from her tail, her foot was not even facing the right direction. I thought she was going to die."
The cat owner is a nurse, and explained to DNAinfo that "she works long hours, sometimes overnight, and the incident over the weekend was the fourth time she had come home to find her cat hurt... Lucy's behavior changed after Garrity moved into the apartment [last fall], Danielle said. Lucy would hide in her owner's closet, refused to eat and constantly licked her paws. In one instance, on Jan. 25, Danielle came home to find Lucy hurt, and when she asked Garrity about it, he told her the cat had knocked over an iron and it landed on her, Danielle said."
Garrity was charged with felony animal cruelty; he is an Irish citizen who is here on a work visa. Barclays says that Garrity is on a leave of absence.
Lucy's owner has started a GoFundMe to help pay for expenses related to Lucy's current and previous medical treatment.
Tagged
animal abuse
animal cruelty
cat
declan garrity
Jen Chung
Jen Chung is a former WNYC and Gothamist editor.
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE news
Influential Brooklyn developer illegally raised rents despite tax break, lawsuit claims
The lawsuit targets the leasing practices of the company Two Trees, which recently received a special carveout in the New York state budget.
By
David Brand
Published Oct 30, 2026 at 11:43 a.m. ET
Democrats' early voting lead in NJ keeps growing ahead of Election Day
In key districts and across the state, Democrats are building on their early voting success from last year’s governor’s race.
By
Mike Hayes
News
Democrats' early voting lead in NJ keeps growing ahead of Election Day
In key districts and across the state, Democrats are building on their early voting success from last year’s governor’s race.
By
Mike Hayes
Early Addition: Is Harry running?
By
James Ramsay
NYC Council takes key step toward Mamdani's promised Department of Community Safety
By
Ben Feuerherd
NY progressives have found a way to vote for Hochul, with an asterisk
By
Walter Wuthmann
Never miss a story
Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.
Sign upEmail address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .