Latest news with #animalcruelty
New York Times
21 hours ago
- New York Times
Man Who Kicked Customs Dog Is Turned Away at D.C. Airport, U.S. Says
A man traveling on a tourist visa was arrested and kept from entering the United States this week after he was accused of kicking a trained detector dog at Dulles International Airport outside Washington, D.C., that had found more than 100 pounds of undeclared food in his luggage, the authorities said. The man, Hamed Ramadan Bayoumy Aly Marie, a native of Egypt, was arrested at the airport on Tuesday and pleaded guilty a day later to a misdemeanor charge of harming animals used in law enforcement, U.S. Customs and Border Protection said in a news release. Mr. Marie, 70, was accused of kicking the agriculture detector dog, a 5-year-old beagle named Freddie, 'so hard that he was lifted off of the ground,' according to court records filed in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia. Mr. Marie was said to have reacted after the dog alerted its handler to possible contraband in a piece of luggage in the baggage-claim area, according to court records. A lawyer listed for Mr. Marie did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Friday. Customs and Border Protection said that a search of Mr. Marie's luggage found that he was carrying 55 pounds of beef, 44 pounds of rice, 15 pounds of eggplant, cucumbers, and bell peppers, two pounds of corn seeds and a pound of herbs. All the of items 'were prohibited from entering the United States and seized,' the agency said. According to court records, Freddie was taken to a veterinary emergency room after the kick. The customs agency said that the dog, who weighs 25 pounds, was found to have contusions to his right forward rib area. 'Being caught deliberately smuggling well over 100 pounds of undeclared and prohibited agriculture products does not give one permission to violently assault a defenseless Customs and Border Protection beagle,' Christine Waugh, the agency's director for the area port of Washington, D.C., said in the news release. Agriculture detector dogs play an important role in 'screening passengers and cargo to prevent the introduction of harmful plant pests and foreign animal disease,' Customs and Border Protection said, adding that plant diseases, invasive species and weeds 'have cost nations millions to billions of dollars in eradication measures and lost revenues.' Mr. Marie, who was traveling on a tourist visa and left the country on Thursday, was credited with time served on the misdemeanor charge, the agency said, and he was ordered to pay $840 in restitution as well as $125 in fines and fees.
Daily Mail
a day ago
- Daily Mail
Egyptian tourist who kicked airport sniffer beagle into the air in vicious attack gets satisfying punishment
An Egyptian man was deported within moments of arriving in the United States after kicking an airport sniffer dog so hard it flew into the air. Hamed Ramadan Bayoumy Aly Marie, 70, lashed out at agriculture detector beagle Freddie on Tuesday inside Washington Dulles International Airport, in Virginia. Marie took a kick at the canine as he waiting at baggage claim as luggage from an EgyptAir flight from Cairo was being unloaded. He pleaded guilty during a court appearance earlier this week to harming the dog and was ordered to pay vet fees totaling $840, and was removed from the country. Freddie had alerted his handler to one of Marie's bags, detecting over 100 pounds of prohibited food items inside Marie's luggage. As Freddie's handler started questioning Marie, he violently kicked the dog with such force that it sent the 25-pound animal into the air. Marie, seen here, took a kick at the Beagle as he waiting at baggage claim as luggage from an EgyptAir flight from Cairo was being unloaded Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) officers quickly apprehended Marie and turned him over to Homeland Security Officials for prosecution. Authorities said that Marie departed the US on a flight back to Egypt on Thursday afternoon. Surveillance images shared by officials show the dog on his hind legs, with another shot showing him suspended in mid air with his ears standing up. The CBP said that he was taken to a veterinary emergency room and found to have contusions on his right forward rib area. A search of Marie's bags found that Freddie had alerted them to 55 pounds of beef meat, 44 pounds of rice, 15 pounds of eggplant, cucumbers and bell peppers, two pounds of corn seeds, and a pound of herbs. According to the CBP, all of the products Freddie found were prohibited from entering the country and ultimately seized. Christine Waugh, CBP's Area Port Director for the Area Port of Washington, D.C, said: 'Being caught deliberately smuggling well over one hundred pounds of undeclared and prohibited agriculture products does not give one permission to violently assault a defenseless Customs and Border Protection beagle. 'We rely heavily on our K9 partners and Freddie was just doing his job. Any malicious attack on one of us is an attack on all of us, and CBP will continue to work with our investigating and prosecuting partners to deal swift and severe justice to perpetrators.' The CBP said: 'CBP's Beagles Brigade plays a vital role in screening passengers and cargo to prevent the introduction of harmful plant pests and foreign animal disease from entering the U.S. 'Animal and plant diseases and invasive pests and weeds have cost nations millions to billions of dollars in eradication measures and lost revenues.'
Sky News
a day ago
- Sky News
Man kicks customs dog at Washington Dulles International Airport, say authorities
An Egyptian man has admitted federal charges after kicking a customs dog at a US airport, authorities say. Hamad Ramadan Bayoumy Aly Marie, 70, pleaded guilty to "harming animals used in law enforcement" during an appearance in the US District Court of eastern Virginia on Wednesday. Five-year-old male beagle Freddie allegedly detected more than 100lbs (45kg) of undeclared agricultural products in Marie's luggage after he arrived at Washington Dulles International Airport from Cairo, Egypt, on Tuesday. When Freddie's handler started questioning the passenger, he kicked the 25lb (11kg) animal so hard that it was lifted off the ground, according to US Customs and Border Protection. A veterinarian determined that Freddie suffered contusions to his right rib area as a result of being kicked. Marie was placed in handcuffs by US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers, who found 55lbs (24.9kg) of beef meat, 44lbs (20kg) of rice, 15lbs (6.8kg) of eggplant, cucumbers and bellpeppers, 2lbs (0.9kg) of corn seeds, and 1lb (0.5kg) of herbs in his luggage, according to authorities. All agricultural products were seized as they are prohibited to prevent the introduction of harmful plant pests and foreign animal diseases from entering the country. "Being caught deliberately smuggling well over 100lbs of undeclared and prohibited agricultural products does not give one permission to violently assault a defenceless Customs and Border Protection beagle," said Christine Waugh, CBP's director for the area port of Washington DC. "We rely heavily on our K9 partners and Freddie was just doing his job. "Any malicious attack on one of us is an attack on all of us, and CBP will continue to work with our investigating and prosecuting partners to deal swift and severe justice to perpetrators." Marie was credited with time served after being taken into custody on Tuesday and was ordered to pay the veterinarian's fee of $840 (£612) for Freddie's treatment, a court filing shows. He was also told to immediately report to CBP for removal from the US, and he left the country on a flight to Egypt at 12.30pm local time on Thursday.
The Guardian
a day ago
- The Guardian
Australian man charged with cattle theft after $100,000 load of bull semen found
Bull semen worth $100,000 is part of a haul of allegedly stolen wagyu cattle uncovered by police in regional Australia. A 34-year-old man from Grafton, in northern New South Wales, faces 20 charges including cattle theft and obtaining financial advantage after allegedly stealing more than 100 cattle from his employer. A vet allegedly contacted by the 34-year-old also faces animal cruelty charges for failing to provide treatment to some of his cattle. The cattleman was asked by his boss to sell 200 cattle, but is accused of arranging to sell 114 of the animals, including 45 valuable full-blood wagyu cows, to himself in January 2024. Det Ch Insp Cameron Whiteside, from the NSW police rural crime prevention team, said a rural crime police unit, codenamed Strike Force Newbury, had been investigating the alleged fraud for more than a year. He said police 'conservatively' estimated the value of each cow at about $3,000. Police allege the sale led to a discount of almost $100,000 after the man bought the herd through a third-party at a greatly reduced price. A search warrant allegedly uncovered a liquid nitrogen storage tank containing the bull semen. Whiteside said the semen was worth about $100,000, due to the value of wagyu beef. 'We're talking hundreds of thousands of dollars. But that's just on face value,' he said. 'Then you've got to look at the future benefit, or the breeding capabilities of that stock also.' Embryos for breeding were also part of the alleged haul. After searching the 34-year-old's property, police allegedly told him to seek treatment from a veterinarian for six wagyu bulls. Police say the vet produced false documents saying he had treated the cattle without doing so and two of the bulls later died. The vet has been charged with committing an aggravated act of animal cruelty and failing to provide vet treatment. He was granted bail to appear at Grafton Local Court on 11 August. Det Ch Insp Whiteside said there were several moving parts to a complex investigation, which required the assistance of five horse-mounted police to execute warrants and specialist rural crime police from across the state. Aside from two primary investigators, officers from New England, Dubbo and southern NSW also assisted. Whiteside described the alleged offending as 'quite complex'. The 34-year-old is charged with 20 offences including cattle theft, animal cruelty and obtaining financial advantage by deception. He was also granted bail to appear at Grafton Local Court on 4 August.
Independent Singapore
a day ago
- Independent Singapore
Kitten stuffed into a container at tech park spurs outcry amid calls for harsher animal cruelty laws
Photo: SPCA's Facebook Featured News Hot Button Issues Singapore News SINGAPORE: A disturbing case of alleged kitten abuse at a workers' canteen in Tech Park Crescent has triggered renewed public outrage and intensified calls for stronger animal cruelty legislation in Singapore. On March 29, 2025, the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) received a tip-off from a whistleblower. A colleague of the suspected abuser alleged that a kitten had been confined in a plastic container and rolled around repeatedly between 9.45 pm and 10.30 pm on March 26. According to the SPCA Facebook post on June 23, the incident may have been captured by CCTV cameras, and the site supervisor was reportedly aware of what transpired. An unannounced inspection was carried out by SPCA officers on April 1, but by then, the kitten had been released and described as a 'community cat.' A stern warning was issued to the worker involved, yet the site manager refused to provide CCTV footage or assist further, prompting the SPCA to escalate the case to the Animal and Veterinary Service (AVS) for investigation. Rising animal rights campaign This case comes on the back of a rising trend in reported animal cruelty cases in Singapore, with calls from activists and the public growing louder for serious legal enforcement. One of the leading voices in this campaign is animal welfare advocate Sherene Alkaff, whose petition titled 'Cats Can't Scream, But We Can' has garnered over 16,000 signatures. It features a request to the Ministry of National Development, NParks, and other relevant agencies to: Allow cumulative evidence like vet reports and witness accounts in abuse prosecutions. Install mobile CCTVs and increase patrols in high-risk areas. Strengthen sentencing — including mandatory jail time and judicial caning for repeat or sadistic offenders. Recognise animal abuse as a national crisis. A warning and a worry Many animal lovers are questioning the adequacy of the response so far. Comments on the SPCA's social media reflect widespread concern: 'A stern warning does not suffice since the potential abuser is presumably an adult… The management could just erase the footage next time this happens.' 'Even if the animal was released, the act did take place — the person who caused the suffering must be punished!' The SPCA reiterated the importance of community vigilance. 'This case, like so many others, would have gone undetected if not for someone who chose to speak up. If you witness abuse or neglect, even if you're unsure, report it. Your voice might be the only one an animal has.' What you can do If you suspect or witness cruelty, SPCA advises: Take photos or videos if it's safe to do so. Note the time, location, and identities involved. Report immediately to SPCA or AVS. What's next? Singapore's animal cruelty laws have evolved over the years, but cases like this underscore potential gaps in enforcement and accountability, especially in situations where evidence is withheld or not pursued with urgency. As Singapore continues to promote itself as a progressive, compassionate society, many netizens are asking whether our animal welfare laws are keeping pace with that vision. See also Penang-Songkhla link talks at G-to-G level: End of Kra Canal The answer may depend on what happens next.
