A commonwealth security guard is facing trial on animal cruelty charges for allegedly trying to kill off stray dogs at the Arecibo sports complex where he was posted.

Félix Torres Rodríguez, a 58-year-old resident of the Parcelas Imberry area of Barceloneta, is accused of lacing dog food with ground glass and poison in an alleged bid to thin the pack of street curs roaming around the Luis Rodríguez Olmo Sports Complex.

Arecibo Judge Sonia Nieves Cordero found cause to prosecute Torres Rodríguez on animal cruelty charges after police and animal rights advocates presented the court with evidence aimed at sustaining the claims against Torres Rodríguez.

The defendant is slated to stand trial at the Arecibo Judicial Center. He faces up to three months in prison and/or a $5,000 fine if convicted.

The charges stem from complaints lodged with authorities by area members of the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, according to Nery Donate, who was one among the complainants.

The scores of stray dogs running free throughout Arecibo are a serious problem that must be dealt with humanely, Donate said.  "The hundreds of stray dogs pose a serious health risk and a threat to public safety," she said.

"We need a shelter as soon as possible to care for and control stray dogs, which are brought from neighboring towns to die of hunger and thirst or be killed on the streets and roadways of Arecibo,"Donate said.

Arecibo's deputy mayor, Angel Ramos, blamed the problem on the previous municipal administration for shuttering the city animal shelter in the Dominguito area.

The municipal government has been granted a provisional nod to reopen the shelter and is expecting the Permits and Regulation Administration to grant a permanent permit, Ramos said.

"We intend to start a count of stray animals in all neighborhoods in order to identify funds for low cost or free sterilization of these animals and reduce the canine population," the deputy mayor said.

Reference:

The San Juan Star