(WNY News Now) – TONAWANDA, N.Y. – A Tonawanda man has been arraigned on multiple charges, including aggravated cruelty to animals, following allegations that he fatally stabbed a dog.
Erie County District Attorney Michael J. Keane announced that Emery S. Kawski, 20, was arraigned before Tonawanda City Court Judge Mark Saltarelli on Monday, March 17, 2025. The charges include Aggravated Cruelty to Animals, Criminal Mischief in the Third Degree, Tampering with Physical Evidence (all Class E felonies), and Overdriving, Torturing, and Injuring Animals (a Class A misdemeanor).
Prosecutors allege that on February 24, 2025, Kawski intentionally stabbed a dog multiple times in the torso before placing the animal in a garbage tote.
Kawski is scheduled for a felony hearing on March 25, 2025, at 9:30 a.m. He was released on his own recognizance, as the charges do not qualify for bail under state law. If convicted of the most serious charge, he faces up to two years in prison.
DA Keane commended the City of Tonawanda Police Department, City of Tonawanda Dog Control, and the SPCA Serving Erie County for their work on the case.
Assistant District Attorney Megan E. Mahoney of the Animal Cruelty Unit is prosecuting the case.
All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
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