Police: Long Beach Man Charged in Puppy Deaths

A Long Beach man wanted in connection with the gruesome deaths of puppies in Massachusetts was caught Tuesday, according to Long Beach Police.

Dominick Donovan, 51, of Long Beach, faces four counts of animal cruelty stemming from incidents in Revere, Mass., police said.

Donovan and another man, Jason Gentry, 34, of Swampscott, Mass., were charged this week after two dead puppies were found behind a Revere gas station last year, according to WCVB.

Donovan was a breeder of Donovan pinschers, which were a mix of pit bull terrier, bulldog, mastiff, and other breeds, according to the report.

The dogs were trained to be aggressive and “if they didn’t make the cut, they were hanged,” according to CBS Boston.

Gentry told investigators that the two puppies who were found “were not meeting breeding standards,” so he and Donovan decided to kill them, according to the Boston Globe.

Witnesses say Gentry claimed he “beat the dogs with a baseball bat like a pinata,” according to the report.

“Anybody who would hurt a puppy because it wasn’t aggressive enough, there’s something wrong,” said Revere Police Chief Joseph Cafarelli, according to CBS Boston. “There’s a disconnect there somewhere.”

After an investigation by LBPD, Revere Police Department, Long Beach Animal Control, and Nassau County District Attorney officials, Donovan was found in his Long Beach home and taken into custody, authorities said.

Donovan is being held for extradition Wednesday in Long Beach City Court, officials said.

Image: Dominick Donovan. Credit: Long Beach Police