Man to serve jail time for repeated animal abuse in 'one of the worst cases' Nassau DA has seen
NASSAU COUNTY, Long Island (WABC) -- A Long Island man has been sentenced to a year in jail for killing two puppies and nearly killing a third.
Ellie Knoller and his wife were arrested in 2019 in what the Nassau District Attorney calls one of the worst animal abuse cases they have seen.
"The internal injuries these animals sustained are uncommon - even in animal abuse cases - and are consistent with terrifying blunt force trauma," District Attorney Anne T. Donnelly said.
Officials say that on Feb. 8, 2019, Knoller adopted a 10-12-week-old male Shepherd mix from a local animal selter and a little over a week later, the puppy died of a kidney rupture.
Knoller inflicted blunt force trauma that caused internal bleeding to the defenseless pup.
The abuse unfortunately did not stop there. A few days after the Shepherd puppy's death, Knoller adopted a 10-12-week-old male Goldendoodle from a breeder.
Just two days later, the puppy went into respiratory and cardiac arrest. Knoller had once again inflicted blunt force trauma, which resulted in the puppy dying from a lacerated liver.
Officials say these incidents only came to light after Knoller brought an 11-week-old female Goldendoodle to the vet a week later. The pup had multiple fractured ribs, bruising on her lungs, and a broken leg, among other things.
In March 2022, Knoller pleaded guilty to three counts of aggravated cruelty to animals. His heinous acts resulted in a year-long jail sentence, as well as five years of probation and a 50-year ban on owning animals.
DA Donnelly said New York' State's animal crime laws need to be strengthened, as Knoller's maximum sentence was two years in jail.
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