Three of the 18 pitbulls seized from a home in New Cassel (Long Island) were so severely injured that they had to be euthanized according to Sue Hassett, director of the North Shore Aminal Shelter, which is looking after the animals after they were found at the home of Monica Christopher.
Christopher, 38 was arrested and charged with three counts of prohibition animal fighting (a felony) and two misdemeanors. She was ordered held on $150,000 bond, or $75 cash bail, and will be represented in court by Legal Aid.
Police were originally called to the house to investigate noise complaints, but when responding officers arrived they spotted 15 to 20 people running out of a garage toward the back of the home, where they found several injured pit bulls, including two that were in “bloody, wounded conditions.”
Officers also reported seeing dog pens/crates throughout the house, all containing pit bulls, many with wounds to the face, nose and body, along with two treadmills used for training dogs for fighting. Police also said they uncovered several bottles containing penicillin and steroids along with syringes.
The 18 dogs ranged in age from 5 months to several years, and all were undernourished stated Hassett, and while the older dogs “had scars and injuries consistent with fighting, none of the puppies appeared to have been placed in combat as yet.”
Still, “all the dogs were friendly and happy to be around people,” she said. “Even the dogs that we so severely injured were still wagging their tails. They still trust us, even after what people did to them.”
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