Police: Man Arrested After Critically Injured Dog Was Abandoned

An Upstate New York man was arrested after a critically injured dog that had been hit by a car, was later abandoned, according to Boonville Police Chief Dave Olney.

Police arrested 31-year-old Alex J. Vandewater of Glenfield, NY, was arrested by the Boonville Police Department and charged with Aggravated Animal Cruelty, a Felony under New York State Agriculture and Markets Law section 353-1.

Olney says that on October 06, 2025, the Boonville Police Department received a call reporting a badly injured dog that was found at around 7:00 am by employees at the Boonville Cemetery on Moose River Road. Patrols responded and located a gravely injured dog which was transported to the Boonville Veterinary Clinic in Boonville by the village's dog control officer, Craig Jenks.  According to Olney, after an examination, it was determined that the dog had been hit by a car and suffered a severed spine, along with other injuries, and the decision was made to euthanize him.

The Back Story

Boonville Police conducted an investigation and determined that due to the animal's injuries, it would have been impossible for it to have traveled to the cemetery on its own power. Police then determined that the dog had apparently been struck by a vehicle in Lewis County late in the evening on October 3rd, and at around midnight on October, 4th, Lewis County Police received a call reporting an injured dog in the roadway on the Number Four Road in Lowville. Following their investigation, police determined the dog's owner learned of the accident and sent Vandewater to retrieve the animal, and he was asked to take it to emergency care. Police say, Vandewater did respond and took possession of the injured dog, but instead of seeking emergency treatment, he's alleged to have abandoned the dog in the Boonville Cemetery in the early morning hours of October 4th, 2025. 

Police say Vandewater was brought to Oneida County Central Arraignment Court at the Deputy Kurt B. Wyman Law Enforcement Complex in Oriskany, where he is awaiting arraignment on the charges.

[AUTHOR'S NOTE:   This post is for informational purposes and is based largely on information received from Boonville Police. Regardless of any statements or photographs regarding potential evidence presented or accusations alleged, the reader is reminded that all suspects and/or arrested persons are innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law. At the time of this posting no additional information is available.]