Hamburg Woman Arraigned on Animal Cruelty Charges for Causing Death of Dog Left Inside Hot Vehicle
September 5, 2024
From the office of Acting Erie County District Attorney Michael J. Keane — Acting Erie County District Attorney Michael J. Keane announces that 49-year-old Joy A. Bickert of Hamburg was arraigned on Tuesday evening before Orchard Park Town Court Justice Michael Pastrick on one count of Overdriving, Torturing and Injuring Animals; Failure to Provide Proper Sustenance (Class “A” misdemeanor under New York Agriculture and Markets Law) and one count of Confinement of Companion Animals in Vehicles: Extreme Temperatures (violation under New York Agriculture and Markets Law).
It is alleged that on Friday, June 21, 2024, at approximately 3:30 p.m., the defendant went to a veterinarian in the Village of Hamburg after she found her dog unresponsive in her vehicle. The dog, an approximately 2-year-old female mixed breed Bulldog named “Eleanor,” died after she was allegedly left inside of a parked vehicle with the windows closed for several hours on Southwestern Boulevard in the Town of Orchard Park. The defendant was later charged and issued an appearance ticket.
Bickert is scheduled to return on Tuesday, September 17, 2024, at 5:00 p.m. for further proceedings. She was released on her own recognizance as the charges are non-qualifying offenses for bail.
If convicted of the highest charge, Bickert faces a maximum sentence of one year in jail.
“This is a heartbreaking case involving the death of a pet who was trapped inside of a vehicle on a hot summer day in Western New York. But these situations are preventable tragedies. I remind everyone, especially in the summer months, to double check their backseat for children and pets before exiting their vehicles,” said Acting DA Mike Keane.
Acting DA Keane commends the SPCA Serving Erie County, SPCA Animal Cruelty Senior Investigator William Heine and Chief Lindsey Wood, Town of Hamburg Dog Control, Village of Hamburg Police Department, and the Animal Health Diagnostic Center at Cornell University for their work in this investigation.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Christine M. Garvey of the Animal Cruelty Unit and Assistant District Attorney Nathan W. Zobrest of the Justice Courts Bureau.
As are all persons accused of a crime, the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
“With the SPCA’s shift toward accepting animals most at-risk, we’ve noticed an increase in care costs while animals are with us,” says SPCA President/CEO Cait Daly. “These donations from the Beanes help the SPCA provide what is required for ‘rookies’ in need of more extensive care while still allowing adopters the ability to adopt at a fraction of what the animal would have cost otherwise. Our basic adoptions include spay/neuter surgeries, vaccinations, microchips, testing, deworming, temporary identification for dogs and cats, the pet’s first visit to a veterinarian after adoption, and more. The Beanes help the animals of our community by affording the SPCA the ability to provide a significant amount of vital care to animals more in-need, leading to faster adoptions into loving homes.”
bad day, you win 40 to nothing, lose 40 to nothing, your dogs are fired up to see you when you come in the door, and that’s a cool feeling, the love and nurturing that they bring to the family,” Brandon stated in a 
“I am genuinely grateful for the collaboration Cait has brought to the community through our SPCA,” says SPCA Board Member Hon. Barbara Howe (Ret.). “The number of organizations with which we now work to make Erie County and beyond a better, more compassionate place is increasing every day; Cait’s attitude is inspiring and infectious. Her work is extraordinary, and deeply valued.”
We were honored to meet the warm, caring, compassionate Frank and Brenda of a Buffalo suburb last week, and when they met Wade, it was an instant love connection.
* ENSURE ALL ANIMALS ARE WEARING CURRENT IDENTIFICATION! Even if the animal has microchip identification, place a collar with an ID tag on your pet. If a neighbor or passer-by finds your animal, an ID collar that includes your phone number can lead to a faster reunion. Remember, don’t limit a search for a lost pet to your geographical location! A frightened animal that bolts can travel long distances, and well-meaning community members trying to help may also transport the animal to an animal control facility or veterinary clinic in a different neighborhood. Find 
“I’ve had the privilege of working with Sheila more than two years, and in that short time she and her work have left an incredible impression on me,” our President/CEO Cait Daly said. “Her passion for her work is evident, surpassed only by her love for the animals. Thousands of lives were made better…thousands of children learned more about farm animals and the respect they deserve…because of Sheila’s knowledge, dedication, and caring. The impact she has made is immeasurable.”
As a child, Sheila volunteered at the SPCA and spent time working with us in the mid-70s through mid-80s, right up until she was hired in October of 1985. It’s impossible to number the animals’ lives she’s impacted since then, lives of resident animals along with lives of animals cared for as part of cruelty cases.
Even a televised, important game being played by her beloved Buffalo Sabres couldn’t coax Sheila away from an animal in need.
Longtime SPCA fans will remember Olivia the pig, a Tonawanda farm resident who, at one point, received more visitors and had more fans than any other animal, or person, for that matter, at the SPCA in the early 90s. Sheila started the Olivia Fan Club, a card-carrying members’ club for children that helped teach the children more about farm animals and their care. It didn’t take long for Sheila to realize the responsibility of the SPCA to teach more about all animals, not just domestic; under her guidance, the SPCA’s petting farm became the SPCA Educational Farm, with teaching stations at and around animal stalls, games children could play that educated them about the farm animals in their midst and the magic these animals brought to the world.
Throughout her career, Sheila continued to be amazed at the faces of not only children but also adults petting a goat or llama for the first time…holding a chicken…feeding Olivia a peppermint. If school classes couldn’t get to the SPCA, Sheila brought the animals to them. Why? Because she knew the value of teaching children at an early age that farm animals, too, deserve compassion, care, respect, and love. These weren’t just words or personal beliefs for Sheila. She lived them. Not even cruelty cases concerning several large animals…not even 10,000 chickens running along the I-190 (true story from August, 2008, and no, the number is not an exaggeration)…not even escaped horses running down Ensminger Rd., turning Tonawanda into a scene from Bonanza, could stop her.
When in court for farm animal cruelty cases, Sheila wouldn’t say much; just her silence and expressions made her feelings known. Sheila spent these days lodged somewhere between sadness and anger and every emotion in between as she imagined the suffering endured by case animals. In fact, these and other animal rescue situations only increased Sheila’s fervent desire to better the lives of such special animals, teaching others along the way why they, too, should share this desire.
Despite her stellar achievements, Sheila never loved, or even remotely liked, being the center of attention. In the 34 years I have known her and been blessed to call her my friend, she never easily gave a television interview, never relished being on the radio, never wanted the camera on her for a social media video…she wanted the focus and the attention fixed on the animals and the people with whom she worked. Her humbleness, like her dedication and devotion, is immense.
Sheila saw many changes at the SPCA. Her pristine barn converted to a fundraising “Haunted Barn” for several years. The growth of a staff numbered at around 25 when she was hired to 110 today. A major move from Tonawanda, NY to West Seneca, NY. In Sheila’s own words this morning, “The SPCA is a haven, where animals are cared for, and where people learn the importance of kindness and respect for all living creatures.” Sheila witnessed so much change around her, yet her impression of what the organization stands for never wavered.
I know she won’t mind my sharing that her closing comment today was a quote by Charlotte Bronte: “There is no happiness like that of being loved by your fellow creatures, and feeling that your presence is an addition to their comfort.”
No matter what animals came in, she always found ways to do best by them. No matter how old the farm got, she always made it look the best it could. For all of the tough cases that came to the farm, and there were plenty, she always focused on the animals that needed our help. For all of the tough times to deal with and decisions to make, there were always lovely letters and emails of how some farm critter adopted from us made such a difference in someone’s life.
In that long of a time together, we share a host of memories – everything from being there for a variety of babies being born on the farm and catching a stray emu to watching animals blossom with good care and having to say goodbye to farm friends when it was the right time to do so.
Sheila didn’t confine her interests just to the farm, either, but was instrumental in producing our earlier newsletters, the foundation of our Wildlife Department and even our first website – I have to admit that it was truly funny watching Sheila type html code in as one of her friends read it over the phone to her!