September 1, 2006
Cute and Furry, Some Say. A Beaten Dog, a Court Finds.
By MICHELLE O’DONNELL
Orders of protection are not unusual in New York courts, but one issued yesterday by a Queens judge to protect a 5-year-old is believed to be the first of its kind, according to an animal society special agent.
The 5-year-old is a dog, Bebe, a bichon frisé from Lindenwood.
The order, signed by Judge Alex J. Zigman of Queens Civil Court, says that Frederick Fontanez, 20, a friend of Bebe’s owner, Derek Lopez, must maintain a distance of at least 100 yards from both the dog and Mr. Lopez.
Animal lovers hailed the court order.
“Very often, abusers use animals to get at the people they are abusing and animals get caught in the middle,” said the special agent, Joseph Pentangelo of the law enforcement department of the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. “They know that the pet might be dear to the person they are abusing.”
The order is believed to be the first of its k
2006-09-04
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