A Manorville pet dealer is facing 23 counts of animal neglect by failing to provide proper food and drink to confined animals in his custody.

John Kowal, 57, of River Road in Manorville, is  charged with violating Section 356 of the State Agriculture and Markets Law.

According to the charges, which were filed by the Suffolk County District Attorney’s BEAST unit, Kowal, operator of Blue Ribbon Puppies at 58 River Road, failed to provide impounded (confined) animals with wholesome air, food, shelter and water for more than 12 successive hours, in violation of the state law. The charges are misdemeanors punishable, upon conviction, by imprisonment for not more than one year, or by a fine of not more than $1,000, or by both.

The charges state that Kowal violated the statute on Feb. 24, the date of an inspection by the Department of Agriculture and Markets. He was arrested and released on field appearance tickets on March 9 and was due in court on Tuesday, March 10. He failed to appear for the court date and Riverhead Town Justice Lori Hulse issued a warrant for his arrest. He was brought to court Wednesday evening for arraignment. 

Kowal, represented by a public defender at the arraignment, entered a plea of not guilty. He was released on his own recognizance. Hulse ordered pre-trial supervision by the Suffolk County Probation Department, beginning Thursday, March 12. He is due back in court with a private attorney on March 24.

The charges stem from the Feb. 24 inspection of Kowal’s property by the Department of Agriculture and Markets. Kowal’s business, Blue Ribbon Puppies, is a state-licensed pet dealer. Under state law, anyone selling more than nine dogs or cats a year, including brokers and breeders, must hold a license. Breeders who sell fewer than 25 animals per year born on their premises are exempt. 

At the Feb. 24 Ag & Markets inspection, the inspector found seven critical violations of minimum standards of care and two general violations, as set forth in section 401 of the state’s Ag & Markets Law, according to the inspection report. 

The critical violations observed were, according to the report: inadequate space in the animal’s primary enclosure; enclosure or cage does not provide space to allow adequate freedom of movement to make normal postural adjustments (stand up, turn around, lie down with limbs outstretched); temperature not compatible with health and well being of animals, not regulated to sufficiently protect each animal from extreme temperatures; housing facilities not kept in clean conditions for animals, not cleaned daily; five animals were not vaccinated for rabies by four months of age, including one animal that had been sold; sick or injured animals not being treated in accordance with the facility’s veterinary plan; and animals were not observed daily to assess their health and well-being. 

The general violations listed in the report were: exercise plan not documented properly; records not maintained for all animals; seven dogs without dog licenses.

Kowal had 26 dogs on the premises on March 9, according to filings by the BEAST unit detective who signed the charges. The BEAST (Biological, Environmental and Animal Safety Team) unit was formed by Suffolk County District Attorney Ray Tierney in April 2022 for the prosecution of animal and environmental crimes. 

Editor’s note: A criminal charge is an accusation. A person charged with a crime is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.

The survival of local journalism depends on your support.
We are a small family-owned operation. You rely on us to stay informed, and we depend on you to make our work possible. Just a few dollars can help us continue to bring this important service to our community.
Support RiverheadLOCAL today.