[ad_1]
Anthony Gargano, owner of the business Spring Street Deli & Pizzeria, was arraigned Tuesday morning in Milton Town Court, according to the Saratoga County Sheriff’s Department. Gargano, 49, is charged with animal abuse under the state Agriculture and Markets law.
Jamie DiGiovanni said the business owner “vindictively” took her cat and “tossed” him at the shelter even though she only lived three houses away from the business.
She said her cat — who is referred to as the Mayor of Court and Spring Street — had never ventured to the business until November when employees began giving the cat snacks.
“In the five and half years I had him, he had never gone to Spring Street [Deli],” she said. “He’s walked past Spring Street, but never actually gone into the establishment.”
Soon, snacks led to other visits to the establishment. DiGiovanni said she always asked if her cat was being a nuisance and told people to contact her if Kane ever became a problem.
The large orange and white tabby cat continued to visit the establishment until DiGiovanni said Gargano spoke to her on Jan. 3 about making sure her cat wasn’t inside the business anymore because of health codes.
While speaking with each other, DiGiovanni said Gargano became more upset and threatened to call animal control.
DiGiovanni went and got Kane that day and kept him inside for the rest of the day, and then all morning and afternoon on Jan. 4. After speaking to animal control, she told the business employees to no longer feed Kane and to remove him if he entered the shop. DiGiovanni said she even planned to put a tracker on Kane to alert her of when he was at the business.
She never got the chance.
When DiGiovanni returned home Jan. 4, she said Kane ran out the door. She hasn’t seen him since.
She figured Kane wanted to be outside since he had been cooped up. However, by Monday, Jan. 8, she began to worry and said she called the business and spoke to Garagno, who indicated they hadn’t seen Kane.
On Jan. 10, DiGiovanni said the Saratoga County Animal Shelter in Ballston Spa called her and told her that Kane was dumped at the location after the shelter closed on Jan. 4, and that someone had been arrested and had confessed to the incident. DiGiovanni said she’s been told there is body-camera footage of Gargano confessing to leaving her cat at the shelter and video from the shelter as well.
“What bothers me is he knew it was my cat, he knows I live three houses down and you chose to take him when the shelter was closed and drop him off, and we still haven’t found Kane,” she said.
Neither Gargano nor Gargano’s attorney Stacy Mix returned a request for comment.
Gargano pleaded not guilty and is expected to appear in Milton Town Court Feb. 20 at 9 a.m.
DiGiovanni said she filed theft charges against Garagno on Jan. 18 with the Saratoga Springs Police Department.
She said she and her son both miss Kane immensely. DiGiovanni and her late-husband had adopted Kane for their family.
“Kane and my son had a special bond,” she said.
She said her son is now paranoid about letting their other cat outdoors.
“He misses him and I miss him,” she said. “This was just done to be vindictive and malicious.”
[ad_2]
Source link
