Puppy thrown off ledge in Manhattan is saved by NYPD, owner arrested: bodycam video

WARNING: This story contains disturbing video.

NEW YORK (1010 WINS/WCBS 880) – Harrowing bodycam video released by the NYPD shows officers saving the life of a puppy named Rocket who was thrown off a ledge in Manhattan last week.

The dog is alive and recovering nearly a week after the horrifying incident in Washington Heights, police said Wednesday.

The officers responded last Thursday to Edgecombe Avenue about a call of a woman holding a badly injured dog.

When officers arrived, they saw the woman, later determined to be Rocket’s 25-year-old owner, holding the pup and allegedly saying she threw her out a window. Police later clarified the dog was thrown from a ledge, not a window; it's unclear what ledge or how far the dog fell.

According to sources, the woman is emotionally disturbed and told responding officers that she "snapped," giving no additional explanation of why the dog was thrown.

The officers separated the owner from Rocket and rushed the dog to a nearby animal hospital for treatment.

In the bodycam video, a visibly distraught officer can be seen holding a lifeless Rocket and telling another officer that the dog is in shock and bleeding from the mouth but still breathing.

"When a puppy sustained horrific injuries at the hands of it's owner last week, [33rd Precinct] officers intervened, cradled the injured animal & rushed the pup to the nearest [ASPCA] for immediate medical attention," the NYPD wrote on X. "Thanks to their actions, Rocket is alive today."

According to police, there's a long list of people--including from inside the precinct stationhouse--who want to adopt Rocket, who will require more surgery on the road to recovery.

The dog’s owner, Morgan Cleopatra, was arrested on various charges, including aggravated cruelty to animals, torture/injure/not feed animals, criminal possession of a weapon, and false personation.