Following a distressing find at a Centereach residence on Long Island, a man has been arrested and charged with animal cruelty. Nearly a dozen dogs were discovered in abominable living quarters, with at least two testing positive for cocaine, according to reports from NBC New York and 1010 WINS. Christopher DiGiovanna, 42, is facing multiple misdemeanor charges after a tip led authorities to a home that left officers gasping for breath and clutching their throats from the ammoniacal fumes emitted from urine, mold, and mildew.
Rats, making their way through broken walls and floors, were observed inside DiGiovanna's condemned house. The deplorable conditions, described with a potent odor that "could just knock you over," made the interior of the home virtually unendurable. "The smell could just knock you over. It was that bad," said SPCA Chief Roy Gross, in a statement obtained by NBC New York. The property was reportedly so unsafe that it was deemed unfit even for human habitation.
A neighbor, Kevin DiMangano, recounted the frequent barking of the dogs and noted peculiarities like an overgrown yard, not foreseeing the harrowing reality within the home's confines. The search executed on Nov. 23 uncovered 11 dogs underweight and battling flea infestation, some confined to a small bedroom littered with hypodermic needles and exposed live electrical wires. According to 1010 WINS, preliminary tests indicated that at least two of the chihuahuas were presumably exposed to cocaine.
In the aftermath, the dogs who had endured these horrific conditions were entrusted to rescue groups such as the Little Shelter in Huntington for care and rehabilitation. Gross, confronted by a scene where the air stung investigators' eyes and throats, highlighted the deadly potential of leaving out harmful substances like drugs, whether it be around animals or children. "Leaving stuff out like that, whether it’s animals or children, it could be deadly," Gross said in a statement referenced by NBC New York. DiGiovanna, who was hiding during the authorities' search, has reportedly remained in police custody with two active warrants on unrelated cases.
This incident marks the 17th hoarder house shutdown in Suffolk County in the year 2024 alone. Officials urge residents to report any suspicions of similar mistreatment in their neighborhood, advocating immediate intervention to prevent further cases of animal cruelty.
