KERHONKSON – A young couple faces charges of animal cruelty following Saturday's discovery of several emaciated pets — two dogs, a boxer and a boxer-pit bull mix, and a cat — in their abandoned Kerhonkson apartment, according to Brian Shapiro, executive director of the Ulster County Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.

German Ruiz, 20, of 48 Samsonville Road, Kerhonkson, was charged with two felony counts of aggravated animal cruelty and two misdemeanor charges of abandonment of animals, in accordance with New York State's agriculture and markets law.

Cassandra Ronk, 18, of 62 Shivertown Road, New Paltz, was also charged with misdemeanor abandonment of animals by the Ulster County SPCA's Humane Law Division after the animals were found at Ruiz's residence in Kerhonkson. The cat belonged to Ronk.

Sent by Ruiz's landlord to serve an eviction notice, the state police found the severely dehydrated and near starved animals, who were then transported to the SPCA shelter for care and recovery.

Glenn Daniels, supervisor of the Humane Law Division, said the couple claimed that they were unable to provide food for the three animals. He said that the animals were "officially" abandoned for one week, but, per Ruiz's confession, were not fed anything substantive for three months.

Ruiz was arraigned in New Paltz Town Court and was due to return Wednesday, July 15. Ronk was issued an appearance ticket for July 14 in Rochester Town Court. The animals will be held as evidence pending the outcome of the case; once decided, the county's SPCA will likely gain custody and determine whether they are rehabilitated and therefore adoptable.