2 men indicted on felony charges of animal cruelty
THE LEADER STAFF

BATH - Two Steuben County men were recently indicted on felony charges related to the dismembering of a cocker spaniel in July.

Jeremy A. James, 25, of Bath, and Jake A. Hoffman, 25, of Hornell, each were indicted on charges of aggravated cruelty to animals, a class E felony punishable by up to four years in state prison.

According to police, the two men killed a cocker spaniel in a "depraved and sadistic manner" July 21 in Savona. The men then allegedly dismembered the carcass.

The arrests came as the result of a joint investigation by the sheriff's office and Scott Mazzo, the county's animal cruelty investigator.

The investigation began when a Savona resident contacted the SPCA to report a dog being mutilated by a group of young people behind a residence on Grove Street in Savona.

The dog was "sacrificed and dismembered for unknown reasons and disposed of in a vacant lot behind the residence," police said.

A portion of the animal's remains were found at the scene.

Also, James and Hoffman were charged with first-degree unlawful dealing with a child for allegedly supplying alcohol to persons under 21 on the night of the incident.