WHITE PLAINS, N.Y. (October 20, 2025) — A 40-year-old man was sentenced to one year in jail for the gruesome killing and dismemberment of an English bulldog named Bruno, Westchester County District Attorney Susan Cacace announced.
Benjamin Tyler pleaded guilty to Aggravated Cruelty to Animals, an unclassified felony, on June 2. Supreme Court Justice James A. McCarty handed down the sentence yesterday, ordering Tyler to serve his time at the Westchester County Jail.
The crime occurred on or about Dec. 6, 2024, at the New Rochelle residence of Bruno’s guardian, a longtime acquaintance with whom Tyler had been staying. Tyler strangled the pure-bred English bulldog to death and then dismembered the animal, scattering pieces of Bruno’s remains around New Rochelle.
Court documents reveal that Bruno’s torso was found in a 5-gallon orange bucket inside a dumpster on Second Street. His head and two legs were discovered in a brown cardboard box within a dumpster on Union Avenue. Surveillance footage captured Tyler leaving the Huguenot Street apartment with both containers, according to a felony complaint filed in New Rochelle City Court.
“The defendant’s actions were despicable,” said Westchester County District Attorney Susan Cacace, whose office is prosecuting the case. “Cruelty to animals is unacceptable.”
“The defendant will have a year in jail to think about his despicable actions,” Cacace said. “Cruelty to animals is unacceptable. Our office will continue to aggressively prosecute those who violate these kinds of laws.”
The New Rochelle Police Department led the investigation, with assistance from the SPCA of Westchester. Assistant District Attorney and Animal Cruelty Coordinator Mary Ann Liebowitz prosecuted the case.
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This article was drafted with the aid of Grok, an AI tool by xAI, under the direction and editing of Robert Cox to ensure accuracy and adherence to journalistic standards.
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