Queens man charged with beating his Boston terrier puppy to death – New York Daily News – NewsEverything New York

A Queens man has been charged with subjecting his Boston terrier puppy to a series of beatings that caused the dog “excruciating pain” before she died of her wounds, prosecutors said Tuesday.

Paul Verite is facing multiple animal cruelty and abuse charges for allegedly abusing his puppy Espy between September and the dog’s death in November. Espy was just 10 weeks old when she died, prosecutors said.

If convicted, Verite, 49, faces up to two years in prison.

“To see a trusting, defenseless creature brutalized the way this puppy was over the course of her short, tortured life makes you heartsick,” Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz said Tuesday. “The defendant will be held to account for the violence he is alleged to have inflicted upon this poor animal.”

Espy was so badly hurt she could neither walk nor stand before her death, Queens prosecutors said.

In the fall, Verite repeatedly took his puppy to both Austin Veterinary Care and Blue Pearl Animal Hospital, where the pup was treated for extensive head trauma and blunt force trauma.

Espy ultimately died of a seizure brought on by a traumatic head injury, investigators learned.

Verite opted to euthanize Espy but could never explain to the veterinarians treating Espy how the dog got such violent injuries, prosecutors said.

A necropsy later determined Espy had been routinely beaten. Out of the dog’s 26 ribs, 21 had either been fractured or half fractured. Espy suffered from “multiple blunt force injuries prior to her death,” investigators noted.

“These injuries caused Espy to experience excruciating pain before her death,” Queens prosecutors said Tuesday.

Investigators arrested Verite on Feb. 6. He was given a desk appearance ticket and returned to court on Monday, when he was criminally charged. He’s due back in court in April.

A call to his attorney, James O’Hare, for comment was not immediately returned Tuesday.