- Rhode Island, USA -
On June 7, 2021, the Rhode Island SPCA along with East Greenwich Police and North Kingstown Animal Control went to a residence on 50 Downing Street in East Greenwich following a complaint of animal cruelty reported by utility workers.
Outside the residence, on an 86 degrees day, officials found a dog who was tied up, dirty crates, empty water bowls and food bowls. The temperature on the surfaces, which were in direct sunlight, was 106 degrees.
While on the scene, officials could hear barking coming from inside the property where they found more dogs.
“As each dog was brought out, it was immediately apparent that they were underweight, weary [wary] of human touch, and very confused”, said the RISPCA in a news release.
Five young dogs were loaded up into vans and brought to the RISPCA, where they received vaccines.
In connection with this case, 38-years-old EUGENE MCQUADE (pictured below) was charged with six counts of overwork, mistreatment or failure to feed animals and eight counts of keeping a dog on a permanent tether that restricts movement.
On August 30, 2021, MCQUADE appeared in 3rd Division District Court and entered a plea in response to his charges.
The Providence Journal reports that according to court records, MCQUADE “pleaded no contest to two of the tethering charges and the rest of the charges, all misdemeanors, were dismissed in Kent County District Court.”
RISPCA said MCQUADE agreed to a one year filing of the charges on the condition that he not be in the care, custody or control for any animals for a period of one year and that ownership of the seized dogs be transferred to the Rhode Island SPCA.
As stated in the release, one of the seized dogs, a young male German shepherd, has been adopted and the other four, all small, young male Pitbulls “are now in training for socialization, obedience, and basic life skills in order to get them on the road to adoption.”
The RISPCA also said that they “will be working with Handsome Dan which has graciously agreed to work with these boys, providing in-shelter and class opportunities for them so they will be as prepared for success as possible once they are released for adoption.”
On a separate note, EUGENE MCQUADE has been the object of an animal cruelty investigation in the past. In fact, back in June 2021, 10WJAR reported that MCQUADE had faced dozens of animal cruelty charges in 2018, “after three of his dogs were found living in squalid conditions at properties in West Greenwich and Coventry.”
In that case, most of the charges were dropped as part of a plea deal and a judge allowed him to have his dogs back.
On January 23, 2018, the Providence Journal reported that MCQUADE was arrested on January 20, 2018, for leaving his three Pitbulls out at night in cold temperatures hitting 20 degrees.
In an article by 10WJAR dated April 29, 2018, the news outlet reported that MCQUADE was also charged in 2013 for mistreating animals, and in 2014, he was accused of controlling vicious dogs.
Voice For Us believes that the judges who have tried all these animal cruelty cases involving EUGENE MCQUADE ought to be disbarred as they are a disgrace to their profession!!!! Furthermore, they are just as guilty as MCQUADE for everything that has happened to the VOICELESS VICTIMS and are contributing and encouraging MCQUADE to continue to commit animal cruelty!!!!
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Many judges are still taking animal cruelty too lightly by Voice For Us.