A New Cassel woman was arrested Friday after police stumbled onto a dog fighting ring inside her garage and several injured pit bulls, including two that were in “bloody, wounded conditions,” Nassau County police said.
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, police said.
That’s when police entered the garage and found the two badly wounded pit bulls inside a homemade wooden dog fighting ring, police said.
The woman who lives in the house, 38-year-old Monica Christopher, was arrested and charged with three counts of prohibition animal fighting.
“Officers observed numerous dog pens/crates throughout the house, all containing pit bulls, many with wounds to the face, nose and body,” police said in a news release.
The house also contained two treadmills used for training dogs for fighting, police said, and several bottles containing penicillin and steroids along with syringes.
The Town of North Hempstead Department of Public Safety Animal Control responded and transported 18 pit bulls to the Town of North Hempstead Animal Shelter, police said.
Five of dogs were immediately taken to the hospital and three had to be euthanized because of their injuries, according to Sue Hassett, the shelter’s director.
She said the injuries consisted of broken bones and lacerations consistent with dog fighting.
The remaining 13 dogs are malnourished but are in “pretty good shape,” Hassett said.
“Five had obviously been fought that morning,” she continued, adding, “It’s hard for me to believe that…this goes on and people don’t call.”
Hassett, who said this is the worst incident she’s seen in 25 years on the job, implored people to call the police if they know of dog fighting in their area.
“Let’s stop it,” she said.
Christopher was arraigned Sunday and a judge set bail at $75,000 cash and $150,000 bond.
