New Yorker accused of brutally beating Boston terrier puppy was later euthanized

On Tuesday, prosecutors said a Queens man was charged with beating his puppy so badly that the dog “suffered excruciating pain” and was euthanized at just 10 weeks old.

Paul Verite, 50, of Forest Hills, was arraigned on charges of animal cruelty and related allegations of allegedly repeatedly abusing a female Boston terrier named Espy last fall, according to the Queens District Attorney’s office.

“When you see how a gullible, defenseless creature mistreated this puppy during his short, tormented life, your heart breaks,” Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz said in a statement. “The accused will be held accountable for the violence he is alleged to have inflicted on this unfortunate animal.”

Verite brought Espie to Austin Veterinary Clinic and Blue Pearl Animal Hospital several times in September, October and November 2022, prosecutors said.

During these visits, the dog was treated for injuries that its owner allegedly could not explain, including a head injury, a broken blood vessel in its eye, and a torn toenail.

During Espy’s most recent medical visit, the veterinarian began treating her for a potential seizure, prosecutors said, but she did not respond to treatment, prosecutors said.

The helpless animal was in such poor condition that it “was unable to walk or stand,” the district attorney’s office said.

The doctor referred Espy to the Blue Pearl Animal Hospital, where the sick puppy arrived in critical condition.

Medical staff determined that Espy might not fully recover even if surgery was performed, and then Verite decided to euthanize the dog, prosecutors said.

A forensic veterinarian performed an autopsy, which revealed more details about the torture Espy allegedly endured during her short life.

Prosecutors said 21 of the puppy’s 26 ribs were broken, with more than half of them broken in more than one place.

The broken ribs were in various stages of healing, indicating the poor puppy “suffered several blunt force injuries before dying,” prosecutors said.

“These injuries left Espy in excruciating pain before dying,” the district attorney’s office said.

Verite was arrested on February 6, and, as court records show, he was first issued a penalty ticket.

He appeared in court on Sunday before Judge John Zoll, who ordered him to return to court on April 24.

If found guilty, he could spend up to two years behind bars.