Long Island man busted for keeping 11 dogs in filthy, urine-soaked home and exposing 2 to cocaine

A Long Island antheral is facing aggregate counts of animal cruelty for allegedly keeping 11 dogs successful a deplorable, urine-soaked location and exposing 2 of the pooches to cocaine, officials said Wednesday.

Christopher DiGiovanna, 42, was already successful custody for a Nov. 23 battle erstwhile Suffolk County cops and Town of Brookhaven Animal Control and Code Enforcement executed a hunt warrant successful his Centereach location and recovered the 11 malnourished pups.

Nearly each the dogs were recovered successful a tiny chamber connected urine- and feces-soaked sheets, the Suffolk County Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals said. The animals were underweight, flea-ridden, filthy and “covered successful urine.”

“The aerial was truthful noxious with ammonia from urine, feces, mold and mildew that it stung investigators’ eyes and throats making it hard to breathe,” Suffolk County SPCA Chief Roy Gross said successful a statement.

Conditions were truthful mediocre that alert excrement and cobwebs covered the home’s walls and ceilings and investigators recovered rats freely scurrying into the breached walls and floors.

Investigators recovered hypodermic needles and cause paraphernalia successful the aforesaid country wherever astir of the dogs were found.

Preliminary tests revealed that astatine slightest 2 of the dogs had been exposed to cocaine, SPCA officials said.

DiGiovanna was charged with 11 counts of carnal abuse, arsenic good arsenic neglect, according to tribunal documents. He was already being held connected $25,000 bail for the battle case, which occurred connected Nov. 10 erstwhile the carnal maltreatment charges were added.

Gross said the animals were taken to a vet and volition beryllium capable to beryllium adopted “upon aesculapian recovery.”