Double D Bar Ranch in Manorville charged with 112 counts of animal neglect

A Suffolk County animal sanctuary has been arraigned on 112 counts of animal neglect, with prosecutors alleging that it failed to provide food, water, shelter and medical care to dozens of animals.

Double D Bar Ranch Inc. in Manorville was arraigned Thursday in Suffolk County District Court. The animals that were allegedly subjected to neglect included cows, goats, horses, pigs, sheep, a mule and an alpaca, prosecutors said.

District Court Judge Susan Berland ordered the ranch to refrain from taking in additional animals until the case is resolved, and for law enforcement to continue to monitor the welfare of the animals still at the ranch, prosecutors said.

“No matter what name it operates under, a ‘sanctuary’ is not a sanctuary when it becomes a place of suffering,” District Attorney Ray Tierney said in a news release Friday. “Our commitment to protecting animals is unwavering. When those who claim to provide care instead allow neglect and cruelty, we will take necessary action. ... We are grateful to our many partners, law enforcement and beyond, who stepped in and stepped up for these animals.”

The ranch's defense attorneys, Nora Constance Marino and Joseph W. Murray, denied the allegations and criticized the district attorney's office for issuing a release with what they said were inaccurate and misleading statements.

“The DA’s office is on an obvious witch hunt with the intent to poison the jury pool, humiliate our client and dissuade Double D’s donors. They are obviously seeking to put our client out of business, without any due process whatsoever," they said in an emailed statement.

They added, "Double D has operated its sanctuary for 28 years, without incident, and has been a trusted resource by many in the community to save and nurture unwanted and discarded animals. What the DA’s office is trying to do is truly outrageous and will ultimately hurt, not help, unwanted animals.”

In January, investigators visited the ranch after receiving "numerous complaints about the welfare of animals on the property," the release from the district attorney's office said.

"These complaints were exacerbated by the frigid, sub-zero temperatures that were consistently occurring at the time," the release said.

Detectives allegedly observed "hundreds of animals with improper shelter and no access to liquid water," the release said.

Some of the animals were found deceased, and others had untreated medical conditions such as "dental disease, tumors, matting, untreated wounds, lameness, respiratory infections, arthritis, emaciation, swollen body parts and overgrown hooves, claws, and nails," the release said.

The ranch was issued an appearance ticket on Tuesday and arraigned two days later. The case is due back in court on Feb. 24.

Suffolk County Police Department detectives on the district attorney’s Biological, Environmental and Animal Safety Team, also known as BEAST, spent several weeks trying to care for the animals, prosecutors said.

"During such time, BEAST detectives worked hundreds of hours on-premises personally tending to the animals’ needs," the release said. "Dozens of animals of various species have since been removed and efforts to remediate the premises are continuing."

By Nicole Fuller

nicole.fuller@newsday.com@NicoleFuller

Nicole Fuller is Newsday's senior criminal justice reporter. She began working at Newsday in 2012 and previously covered local government.