Hundreds Of Animals Rescued From Ritual Slaughter

Father, son charged with animal cruelty It was an odd find at a tidy Westchester home. In and around a backyard pen police discovered a veritable farm menagerie. Thirty
young goats and rams, crates jam-packed with chickens, pigeons, and
other birds were found. In all, more than 200 animals were collected
for a Santeria ritual religious slaughter. "[I have nothing
against the religion, it’s just that when you look at a bunch of
animals in the condition these were when they were found, it’s just
wrong," said Ken Ross, of the SPCA.
Police acknowledge it is not illegal to sacrifice animals for religious
reasons, such as Santeria rituals, but the animals must be cared for
properly prior to slaughter. Homeowner Luis Perez Hernandez was charged with keeping farm animals in a residential zone. Hernandez
and his son were also charged with animal cruelty after investigators
found a dead goat and a dead pigeon in the cages that were sacrificed. The homeowner’s daughter denies the animals were mistreated prior to the planned sacrifice. "To
find one pigeon and one goat dead, that could have been the rain, could
have been the weather, could have been anything," Stephanie Perez said. Neighbors find the whole thing strange, but one woman didn’t want to pass judgment. "I’m
a Catholic, plain Catholic and I don’t believe in this," said Aida
Lopez. "If somebody does it, they have their ways, whatever they do
they do, but they kept it very quiet." Instead of being slaughtered, the farm animals were returned to the dealer who sold them in New Jersey. The SPCA is still investigating the circumstances of the case. <a href=”http://wcbstv.com/topstories/Greenburgh.Ritual.Slaughter.2.804187.html”>Source</a>

2008-08-27