Schenectady woman accused of abusing dog near APF fundraiser Friday, November 1, 2013 By Steven Cook (Contact) Gazette Reporter Text Size: A | A SCHENECTADY — A woman sought on allegations she hit and kicked her dog near an event where more than 1,000 animal lovers gathered in September has been found and charged, authorities said. Dana L. Jarvis, 40, of 10 Mill Lane, faces one count of torturing and injuring an animal, a misdemeanor. She is due back in court next week. She was charged Oct. 23. The status of the dog was unclear Friday. Jarvis is free on $500 bail. Jarvis is accused of hitting her German shepherd in the head with a closed fist multiple times Sept. 7 and then kicking the downed dog in the shoulder, all around noon that day near the tennis courts at Central Park. She allegedly did so as the Animal Protective Foundation put on its annual fundraiser in the park, the Fireplug 500. More than 1,000 people, many with their dogs, were estimated to have attended. The event raised $40,000 for the Glenville shelter’s animal care, spay and neuter and adoption programs. Around noon, after the actual walk around the Central Park pond concluded, a participant returned to her car near the tennis courts and allegedly witnessed the dog being hit and kicked. She tried to intervene as she called police and then notified event organizers. But the dog’s alleged assailant, a man and two children she was with, as well as the dog, left the area. Word of the allegations soon spread on social media, including the APF’s Facebook page and the Facebook page of WTEN’s chief meteorologist, Steve Caporizzo, who hosts the popular Pet Connection pet adoption segment. Caporizzo’s page included a letter he said was from the woman who witnessed the incident. “The stocky built Caucasian man did nothing as the woman screeched to the dog that it would do as she said and punched it in the head again,” the letter reads. “It pancaked to the ground with ears pinned back and eyes looking fearfully upward.” When the witness tried to intervene, the man allegedly threatened her. The APF’s post included a plea for those at the walk to check their photos for a German shepherd in a red harness, then gave a description of the woman. The APF also reached out to supporters by email. How police tracked Jarvis down or concluded she was the woman who hit the dog was unclear Friday. But APF spokeswoman Marguerite Pearson said she was just happy an arrest had been made. “I was amazed,” Pearson said, “and I was really happy. I think many people had sort of given up hope.”
Posted on: Sun, 03 Nov 2013 14:37:37 +0000
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