Also Banned for Life from Owning Any Pets
A West Islip man was sentenced to four months in jail followed by five years of probation and received a lifetime ban on owning animals after pleading guilty to beating his aunt’s five-year-old Chihuahua-mix dog, resulting in severe physical injuries that caused its death.
On July 6, 2022, Peter Minichello was left home alone with Pup-Pup while his mother and aunt were at work. When Minichello’s aunt returned home, she saw that Pup-Pup was inside his crate, not moving and covered in blood and bruises. When Minichello’s mother and aunt left earlier that morning for work, Pup-Pup was healthy and had no apparent injuries. The aunt sought medical attention for Pup-Pup, but he died days later.
Further investigation revealed that Pup-Pup sustained extensive injuries, including multiple broken ribs, blunt force trauma to the head and body, and a penetrating wound to the elbow. He ultimately died due to a traumatic brain injury.
On June 13, 2024, Minichello, 22, pleaded guilty to all of the charges contained within the indictment, including aggravated cruelty to animals and third-degree criminal mischief — both Class E felonies — before Acting Supreme Court Justice Richard I. Horowitz. On August 19, 2024, Horowitz sentenced Minichello to four months in jail followed by five years of probation. He also ordered that Minichello be banned from owning or possessing any animals for the rest of his life.
“What this defendant put an innocent animal through is as shocking as it is deplorable,” said Suffolk County District Attorney Ray Tierney. “A dog’s love is unconditional, and my heart goes out to the defendant’s aunt who lost a beloved companion.”