Overview
- Joseph Columbus was taken into custody Thursday at Manhattan Supreme Court for civil contempt, the city sheriff confirmed.
- Judge Phaedra Perry-Bond’s order requires Columbus to disclose the dogs’ locations, provide contact details for current handlers, and transfer the animals to NYC Animal Care and Control.
- Court records indicate he could remain jailed until March 11 and face $250 per day in fines unless he complies.
- Columbus’s attorney said she is filing an emergency appeal, while Columbus told the court he no longer has the dogs, claims the judge challenged using a June TV interview.
- Plaintiffs seek restitution for roughly $22,000 in veterinary bills tied to multiple reported attacks, including the May mauling of Penny the chihuahua, and the dogs’ whereabouts remain unverified.