Overview
- Authorities say 68-year-old Dan Bujor tied two dogs, Marzipan and Nougat, to a Volkswagen and drove near 11th Street and 43rd Avenue in Long Island City around 6 p.m. on January 4 as witnesses recorded.
- Bystanders attempted to stop the vehicle, called 911, and helped officers find Bujor near his converted school bus, leading to his arrest the same day.
- Bujor was arraigned on charges including overdriving animals, torturing and injuring animals, failure to provide sustenance, and unlicensed driving; he pleaded not guilty and was released without bail pending a March 5 court date.
- The NYPD transferred the dogs to the ASPCA, where veterinarians reported a ruptured eardrum for Marzipan and abrasions with skin inflammation for Nougat.
- According to the complaint, Bujor told investigators he tied the dogs to avoid them defecating in the car, while the ASPCA described the case as part of a persistent animal-abuse problem in New York City.