Long Island Man Charged with Animal Cruelty After 11 Dogs Found in Squalid Conditions
Christopher DiGiovanna faces 22 counts of animal cruelty after authorities discovered malnourished dogs in a rat-infested, drug-laden home, with two dogs testing positive for cocaine exposure.
- Christopher DiGiovanna, 42, was arrested after authorities found 11 dogs living in a urine- and feces-soaked home in Centereach, New York.
- The dogs, including 10 Chihuahuas and a St. Bernard, were malnourished, flea-ridden, and kept in a small bedroom with exposed electrical wires and drug paraphernalia.
- Preliminary tests revealed that at least two of the dogs had been exposed to cocaine, according to Suffolk County SPCA officials.
- The home was deemed unfit for human occupancy due to severe rat infestations, mold, and noxious ammonia levels that made it difficult for investigators to breathe.
- DiGiovanna, already in custody for unrelated charges, faces up to 22 years in prison if convicted on all counts; the rescued dogs will be available for adoption after medical recovery.
New York Daily News 
New York Post 