Am being subpoena'd for animal cruelty after signing/giving my dog away to the ASPCA.. what? how? brooklyn,nyc

I really dont understand. got a call today from aspca saying im getting a subpoena for animal cruelty.

a dog i was looking after ,maybe some stupid kids open the gates to my yard.
i returned at night, the dog was tied to my gate outside the house. the next day or two,aspca came to investigate, they said there was an anonymous caller. the dog was limping around. i did not know whats wrong. they looked at the dog and said it may be broken and needs a vet.

im a college student ,deadbeat part time job

i told them i cant afford to bring the dog to a vet for a couple of thousand dollars. they told me to bring it to vet. or they call cops. or they take the dog and treat themselves then give for adoption later.

so i read the papers and signed the dog to them. im pretty sure after signing the dog is theirs. ive read the papers and nothing talked about criminal charges.

today, they called me saying im being charged for animal cruelty? for not bringin the dog to vet? can they do that?

i mean.. what?

how is that animal cruelty?

did i beat the dog to death or something?

the aspca officer said when i sign, its just like giving dog to shelter.

i really dont understand why or how they can do that?

should i look into a lawyer because i really seems like something is wrong.

the agent who called me today even gave me an attitude, said you have 2 options. i give you subpoena or i get the cops to go to your home and arrest you. wtf? threatening me?

Yes, they can do that. Part of the responsibility for properly caring for a pet is providing vet care if necessary. Also, a normal vet visit does not cost "a couple thousand dollars". A vet would talk to you before doing anything that would be that expensive.

If your dog was running around off leash, you also violated leash laws.

Hmm.. That sounds a little off. Maybe upon medical inspection they found another problem that wasnt being treated? I would talk to a lawyer. Most will give free consultation over the phone at least.

Why not? If the dog was injured under your control, and you refused to take it to the vet, it doesn't really matter if you signed it over after that. You still neglected to care for the dog while it was under your control.

A little off...yeah, a little. A subpoena or arrest? These two are not usually opposite options. A subpoena is merely a legal document compelling someone to give testimony...quite different than being arrested for a crime. Are you talking a dog ordinance, or a criminal violation? I have never heard of any county that has the time/money to lock up someone because they can't afford vet care. And, you stated the dog wasn't yours....FYI, at least in CA you can't give a dog to a shelter if you are not the owner and it would be against the law for a shelter to accept a dog from you if you are not the owner.

if you are a self-proclaimed deadbeat, and too broke to pay medical bills, then WHY do you have a dog in the first place? you deserve to be arrested.

Your dog was out running loose, which is why some caring neighbor who didn't want to see it killed, brought it back and tied it to the fence.
I doubt it's the first time.
I really hope that you think about what happened and what could have happened.
Sometimes we learn lessons in life the hard way.

I do not think you are guilty of causing the dog his injuries. Neither you nor your mom knew what was going to happen. When you left for work, the dog was in the house. When your mother left for the store, the dog was in the yard. People leave their dogs in their yards all the time, sometimes they get out though. I think what you may be in trouble for is the fact that after you found out he was hit by a car you did not seek medical treatment for him. I understand that you do not have enough money to care for him if an accident or sickness occurs. My guess is that you either didn't realize he was badly injured or you were hoping he would get better on his own. Maybe you didn't realize you could take him to a shelter? I had to give up one of my cats because he got very sick and I could not afford the testing and treatment. I gave him to the Humane Society so he could get treatment. He was with me 14 years before I had to give him up. I miss him but I know he will be well taken care of. You did the best thing for him in the end, when you realized your options. I do not believe you are a deadbeat either, you work hard at you job (I assume) and are studying for a better future. Yes you should've sougt treatment for the dog and now know better for if this happens again in the future, right? Just talk to the court and hopefully things will work out. Just remember to be much more prompt when dealing with accident injuries/ illnesses in the future with any animals you have.