44 88 Street
Dec. 1, 2016 By Hannah Wulkan
A Jackson Heights woman was indicted on felony animal cruelty charges and may face up to eight years in jail if convicted, announced District Attorney Richard Brown today.
Elizabeth Grant of 25-44 82nd Street in Jackson Heights, will head to court in January for allegedly abusing 55 cats, 12 dogs and two turtles. The 48-year-old woman was indicted on four counts of felony aggravated cruelty to animals, 66 counts of overdriving, torturing or injuring an animal and 66 counts of failure to provide proper food and drink to an impounded animal.
“The defendant is accused of permitting her numerous pets to live in deplorable conditions. The home’s floor and furnishings were allegedly covered in feces, fur and urine. Rescue workers stepping inside the dwelling, were overwhelmed by the smell of ammonia and had to wear respirators to breathe, as well as protective clothing. No person or animal should live in such wretched conditions,” Brown said in a statement.
Grant will return to court and face the charges on January 10, and if convicted could face two years for each of the four felony charges, according to Brown.
According to the charges, a police officer from the 115th Precinct went to visit Grant’s mother at her Jackson Heights home on January 6, and though there was no answer when she knocked, she said the door was open and she could see numerous animals inside in filthy conditions.
The officer returned on January 28 with the ASPCA, and Grant’s mother answered the door. The officer said she saw feces, fur, urine and flies throughout the entire first floor of the house, and saw that the ceiling was peeling and rotting and there was trash strewn everywhere.
She said that she saw many animals missing patches of fur and with their eyes crusted closed, and saw one cat that appeared not to be able to walk.
Upon executing a search warrant later that day, officers rescued the 69 animals from the house and members of the ASPCA examined the 67 cats and dogs, finding that many had dental diseases, ear mites and respiratory infections, as well as pain and discomfort from a host of other ailments.
One dog named Dorothy was so diseased that she had to be put down. When she was taken from the house she was allegedly vomiting and had diarrhea related to chronic kidney and liver disease. A large part of her coat was matted with feces and she had severe dental disease and a chronic illness associated with her digestive system.
Other animals found in especially bad condition included:
-A dog named Bond was allegedly dehydrated and weak. His fur had a foul stench and was matted with feces and urine. Bond showed signs he was in pain with every movement and his skin was inflamed. His overgrown claws were caked with fecal matter that caused inflammation of his paws and made it painful to walk. He also had an untreated kidney infection, severe dental disease and many of his teeth had rotted out.
-A cat named Augustus was allegedly emaciated from prolonged lack of food. Augustus also had a severe dental disease, an ear mite infection in both ears and suffered with blood-filled ear flaps.
-A dog named Ewok had an unpleasant stench coming from his fur and a swollen eyelid gland. The dog’s urethra protruded from the end of his penis and he experienced discomfort from both an ocular and ear disease.
-A cat named Gracie allegedly had cerebellar hypoplasia, a problem with balance due to a virus infection as well as scarring from an untreated ear mite infection.
Only two animals, cats named Howie and Kobe, did not show any significant health abnormalities when examined.
Police Officer Lorraine Vultaggio (center) who discovered the alleged cruelty
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26 Comments
found guilty. those poor animals. don’t feel the least bit sorry for her now!!!
she needs professional help
i hope the judge has mercy on her and gives her strict probation and serious mental rehab if it’s at all possible
Its not January yet you nut!
That’s when the police discovered that house of horrors, back in January of 2016. It’s clearly stated in the article. Anybody with an English reading comprehension score above the 4th grade would have noticed that.
Flies in January? Oh boy, they must have been having a grand old time with all that feces. The only thing she was caring for were the flies.
Okay, I don’t have my teeth anymore, but I finally got a good bath. And guess what, no more of that foul stench! You have no idea how bad I smelled.
All lies Ms Vultaggio was not in the house on January 6 witnesses workers and a camera can prove.MAY MS LYING THEIVING VULTAGGIO LOOOOOSE HER BADGE!!!!!PROBATIONARY OFFICER!!! ALL PETS WERE WELL LOVED AND FED AND WILLIE GIVEN TO THE MEDIA TO COUNTERBALANCE THIS HORRIFIC PUBLICITY STUNT FOR THESE SCUM PEOPLE TO PUT THE DONATIONS IN THEIR POCKETS!!!!!!
THE PICTURES TAKEN AT THE SCENE ALL SHOW HEALTHY CHUBBY PETS AND BAGS AND CANS OF FOOD AND WATER ALL OVER THE PLACE!!!ONLY LOVE AND CARE GIVER TO THESE ANIMALS!! HOW MUCH IN CUTBACKS DID PROBATIONARY OFFICER MR LORRAINE VULTAGGIO RECEIVE???
none!!
I’m sure there were “bags and cans of food and water all over the place”. It just confirms what we all know—it was a pig stye. As for the “workers and camera,” nowhere during her proceedings did she have any workers appear in court to testify or produce evidence from any security cameras. This hoarder is delusional.
Looney Tunes!!!!
I drove by that house and it looks like a house of horrors from the outside. The blinds look half torn, evidence alone that the animals tried to claw their way out of the Jackson Heights House of Horror!
Can you just imagine the smell of that place?! It probably smelled worse than the monkey room at the old Central Park zoo. I’m sure the old lady Elizabeth Grant probably smelled like garbage and probably never showered. Stinko!
she needs professional help
I agree. I think, seriously, she should be locked up for about a year in Bellevue to prevent any other animals being tortured.
Too late for that!!
Joe why dont you shut up. You have a big mouth
That is Jackson Heights to those born in the Heights
Anon-Not those of us born here and who know it’s history. Actually all the people from other parts of the country and other parts of the world who consider it all Jackson Heights. That was exactly the the thinking back in the 70’s and 80’s that almost decimated the housing market in Jackson Heights. When Corona went down the tubes with crime everyone just labeled all the crime in Corona as Jackson Heights. Jackson Heights boarders are very specific. Educate yourself.
25-44 82nd Street is not in Jackson Heights. Please look it up.
this is jackson heights until the post office decided to change everything
Really, was that necessary?
East Elmhurst
Good job may she rot in prison
GOOD JOB OFFICER VULTAGGIO