OXFORD – Thirty-eight counts of cruelty to animals and one count of false impersonation have been added to the charges against the Oxford property owner arrested on Oct. 13 after the seizure of 76 Pomeranians.
Steven W. Fong, 56, of 405 Clinton Avenue in Brooklyn, appeared before Oxford Town Justice John Weidman Monday, eight days after Chenango County Sheriff’s Deputies and the SPCA rescued the animals from a double-wide trailer owned by Fong on Williams Road in Oxford and charged him with 76 counts of failure to provide for an impounded animal.
Sergeant Timothy Urnaitis presented the Judge with a signed inventory and photographs documenting the contents of 13 bags removed by deputies on Oct. 12 from 145 Williams Road. According to the inventory, the bags contained the remains of 38 dogs.
Attorney Scott Clippinger, representing Fong, objected to the photographs and asked that they be discarded.
Sgt. Urnaitis also presented an accusation filed by Deputy Debra Ives. In the sworn document, the deputy stated that Fong misrepresented both his date of birth and address to investigators at the outset of the investigation.
In light of the new charges, 38 misdemeanors in total, Sgt. Urnaitis requested that Fong present himself at the Chenango County Sheriff’s Department for re-processing. Fong and his attorney agreed that he would accompany the sergeant to the jail immediately following adjournment.
“The first order of business today is taking care of the animals,” said Weidman.