Hudson Valley Man Neglected 18 Pet Ducks

A Hudson Valley man was sentenced after he was found guilty of neglecting his 18 ducks.

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On Wednesday in Ulster County Court, 58-year-old Ben Gary Treistman of Woodstock was sentenced following his October 2019 conviction by a Town of Olive jury for 18 counts of failure to provide proper sustenance in violation of the agriculture and markets law covering animal neglect.

Treistman was sentenced to three years’ probation. The judge also ruled Treistman must not acquire any additional domestic or livestock animals beyond what he declared in court and ordered the Ulster County SPCA may accompany the probation department at home checks to guarantee compliance with the conditions.

In April 2016, the Ulster County SPCA responded to complaints of animal neglect at man's home concerning ducks he owned. Various notices to comply were given to the defendant outlining changes that needed to be made to the poor conditions. After new complaints came in, a search warrant was executed at his home on May 3, 2017, where 18 ducks were seized.

Injuries included various levels of bumblefoot, and numerous ducks had large holes in their feet, likely from nails that were sticking up inside of the duck pen, according to evidence presented at the trial. In addition, many ducks were covered in feces due to the excessive accumulation of fecal matter in the confined area in which they were held, officials say.

A veterinarian for the SPCA testified that not one duck was in a healthy condition, according to the Ulster County District Attorney's Office.

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Treistman must also pay a $50 fine for each of the 18 neglected ducks and must also comply with registering on the Ulster County Animal Abuse Registry.