Prosecutors said a vicious hoarder in Queens may spend up to a year in prison for allegedly packing around 50 dogs into his dirty one-bedroom flat, which a neighbor called a “hell hole.”
The Queens District Attorney’s Office reports that Isaac Yadgarov, 37, was arraigned Monday on a 96-count indictment charging him with animal abuse and neglect after he reportedly crammed 48 Belgian Malinois dogs into the odorous unit on 62nd Road in Forest Hills.
“We must do better for the animals of this borough,” Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz stated.
According to authorities, when animal welfare officers arrived at Yadgarov’s seventh-floor flat on May 8, they saw an inhumane situation: the unfortunate dogs huddled together in the urine, dung, and debris-strewn area.
The Animal Care Centers of NYC described the unsettling image as “one of the most heartbreaking hoarding cases we’ve ever seen,” claiming that some of the dogs were crammed into cupboards and closets or crammed into small areas with no access to sunshine or fresh air.
The sheer volume of canines made it impossible for ASPCA and ACC members to move around the apartment, and the ammonia stench from the urine-soaked surroundings made it difficult for them to breathe.
The NYPD’s Emergency Service Unit assisted in the rescue of the dogs. It seemed unthinkable that so many dogs were crammed into the filthy area, a neighbor earlier told.
“We all assumed there were two or three dogs in there, we would never have imagined that they were that many, we never saw them ever, anywhere,” he stated.
“It seems like a hell hole,” the neighbor continued. “They never saw the light of day, because we would know if they were walked.”
The floor usually smelled bad, according to another neighbor who called herself Sharon.
“It always smells like that here and I always hear them barking, barking, and he throws poop out of his balcony,” she stated. “As far as I know, as we all know, he neglects his dogs. … If he takes them out in the elevator, it smells so bad, they pee on the staircase.”
While the remaining puppies were brought to the ASPCA and ACC for medical evaluation, feeding, and socialization in order to prepare them for future foster homes or adoption, three of the severely neglected pups had to be put down.
According to the organization, some were subsequently moved to Posh Pets Rescue, a Long Island non-profit.
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“These Belgian Malinois-mixes – who represent only a fraction of the animal lives saved through our partnership with the NYPD – are finally receiving the love and care they deserve,” ASPCA President and CEO Matt Bershadker stated.
According to the DA’s office, Yadgarov had been evicted from his residence, so he wasn’t home when the dogs were taken out.
Prosecutors said that he had signed documents a day earlier consenting to his pets’ release.
He was charged with 48 charges of overloading, overdriving, abusing animals, and failing to provide sufficient food, water, and shelter after turning himself in on May 13.
At Yadgarov’s appearance on Monday, Judge Edward Daniels released him on his own recognizance because the charges did not qualify for bond.
If found guilty, he could be imprisoned for up to a year; his next court appointment is August 5.
