John Olexa
04-24-2006, 04:47 PM
Calling the kicking death of a deaf 15-year-dog "callous and horribly cruel," a Putnam Valley justice imposed a prison sentence last week for the 41-year-old man who pled guilty to the ultimate act of animal cruelty.
Frank Aquino spent his first of nine consecutive weekends in Putnam County jail last Friday night after receiving his punishment the day before from Putnam Valley Justice Louis DiCarlo.
Besides prison time, the United Parcel Service employee was fined $1,165, ordered to perform 50 hours of community service and undergo a mental health evaluation, and received three years probation.
Aquino, who was arrested June 5 for kicking Roxi, a 45-pound mixed-breed German shepherd "like a football" in the abdomen on Memorial Day, was also required to pay $500 to Roxi's owners, Bill and Lisa Sampson, to cover the expenses of adopting a new dog.
"It's sad. There's really no reason for it," Lisa Sampson said Monday from her Somerset Lane home about Aquino's actions. "We're just glad that he didn't walk away with nothing at all with what he did."
On May 30 at about 4:15 p.m., Alfred Pizzuto, who was visiting Aquino, reported to the Putnam County Sheriff's Department that he saw Roxi tumble several times from the force of a quick kick from Aquino after the dog wandered onto his property.
About two hours later, Lisa Sampson found the pet she had since it was a puppy lying dead in bushes across the street from her home.
It wasn't until four days later that the Sampsons learned the circumstances that led to Roxi's death.
"She was very gentle, a very docile animal," Lisa Sampson said. "He (Aquino) just doesn't like animals. Maybe he has aggression problems."
Aquino was originally charged with aggravated animal cruelty, a felony, but pled guilty in October to the misdemeanor charge of animal cruelty.
Countless supporters of the Sampsons sent letters and e-mails to DiCarlo urging him to severely punish Aquino.
Meanwhile, Aquino reportedly received a slew of threatening letters and phone calls, and even death threats.
Aquino's attorney, Joseph Tock of Mahopac, did not return a phone message but told the media after the sentence DiCarlo succumbed to pressure in handing down the sentence.
On October 1, the Sampsons adopted a six-month-old puppy named Chance who was left homeless from Hurricane Katrina.
"Chance is a good dog and is wonderful with our baby (son), Dylan," Lisa Sampson wrote on a web site entitled www.rememberroxi.com.
"He is very different from Roxi. I knew he would be, but in a strange way it makes me miss her more. I guess it is because Roxi and I had a history together, a life together. I knew her every quirk and she knew mine."
"Sometimes I think I hear the tags rattle on her collar and I turn my head to look for her, but she isn't there. Not a day goes by that we don't think of her."
A week before Chance arrived, the Sampsons installed an electric fence around their property to ensure he doesn't wander across the street.
Since Roxi's death, Lisa Sampson has gotten very involved in lobbying for the passage of a state law that would allow a person to sue for the loss of companionship, comfort and protection and would recognize animals as companions, not property, as currently exists.
The bill is currently pending in the Assembly and Senate and may be voted on this year.
"She (Roxi) had no value in the eye of the law. To us, she was very valuable," Lisa Sampson said. "We never asked for anything bad to happen to him (Aquino) or his family. We just wanted some justice for our dog
Frank Aquino spent his first of nine consecutive weekends in Putnam County jail last Friday night after receiving his punishment the day before from Putnam Valley Justice Louis DiCarlo.
Besides prison time, the United Parcel Service employee was fined $1,165, ordered to perform 50 hours of community service and undergo a mental health evaluation, and received three years probation.
Aquino, who was arrested June 5 for kicking Roxi, a 45-pound mixed-breed German shepherd "like a football" in the abdomen on Memorial Day, was also required to pay $500 to Roxi's owners, Bill and Lisa Sampson, to cover the expenses of adopting a new dog.
"It's sad. There's really no reason for it," Lisa Sampson said Monday from her Somerset Lane home about Aquino's actions. "We're just glad that he didn't walk away with nothing at all with what he did."
On May 30 at about 4:15 p.m., Alfred Pizzuto, who was visiting Aquino, reported to the Putnam County Sheriff's Department that he saw Roxi tumble several times from the force of a quick kick from Aquino after the dog wandered onto his property.
About two hours later, Lisa Sampson found the pet she had since it was a puppy lying dead in bushes across the street from her home.
It wasn't until four days later that the Sampsons learned the circumstances that led to Roxi's death.
"She was very gentle, a very docile animal," Lisa Sampson said. "He (Aquino) just doesn't like animals. Maybe he has aggression problems."
Aquino was originally charged with aggravated animal cruelty, a felony, but pled guilty in October to the misdemeanor charge of animal cruelty.
Countless supporters of the Sampsons sent letters and e-mails to DiCarlo urging him to severely punish Aquino.
Meanwhile, Aquino reportedly received a slew of threatening letters and phone calls, and even death threats.
Aquino's attorney, Joseph Tock of Mahopac, did not return a phone message but told the media after the sentence DiCarlo succumbed to pressure in handing down the sentence.
On October 1, the Sampsons adopted a six-month-old puppy named Chance who was left homeless from Hurricane Katrina.
"Chance is a good dog and is wonderful with our baby (son), Dylan," Lisa Sampson wrote on a web site entitled www.rememberroxi.com.
"He is very different from Roxi. I knew he would be, but in a strange way it makes me miss her more. I guess it is because Roxi and I had a history together, a life together. I knew her every quirk and she knew mine."
"Sometimes I think I hear the tags rattle on her collar and I turn my head to look for her, but she isn't there. Not a day goes by that we don't think of her."
A week before Chance arrived, the Sampsons installed an electric fence around their property to ensure he doesn't wander across the street.
Since Roxi's death, Lisa Sampson has gotten very involved in lobbying for the passage of a state law that would allow a person to sue for the loss of companionship, comfort and protection and would recognize animals as companions, not property, as currently exists.
The bill is currently pending in the Assembly and Senate and may be voted on this year.
"She (Roxi) had no value in the eye of the law. To us, she was very valuable," Lisa Sampson said. "We never asked for anything bad to happen to him (Aquino) or his family. We just wanted some justice for our dog