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Freeport Man Charged With Dog Fighting After Fatal Fire

Anthony Reddick
Anthony Reddick

A Freeport man has been arrested for allegedly training pit bulls for dog fighting after a fire in his garage left more than a dozen of the animals dead, authorities said.

Anthony Reddick pleaded not guilty Saturday at Nassau County court to charges of animal fighting for breeding the dogs, animal fighting for training the dogs and 16 counts of animal fighting charges—one for each dog found.

Prosecutors said firefighters and police officers found 13 dead dogs and dog fighting paraphernalia when responding to a garage fire at the 53-year-old suspect’s Hillside Avenue home on Friday night. Three more pit bulls found alive are being cared for by authorities.

Investigators found another dog with face scarring consistent with dog fighting when authorities later searched the house, where Reddick was found to have treadmills with tethers, documentation of the dog fighting and wall posters depicting pit bulls with scarring on the face consistent with dog fighting.

The dogs that died in the fire ranged in age from about two and a half months to five years old.

Judge Tricia Ferrell set bail for Reddick at $20,000. He faces up to 1-1/3 to 4 years in prison and is due back in court Wednesday.

To report alleged animal abuse, call the District Attorney’s 24 hour Animal Crimes Tipline at 516-571-2245 email a complaint to [email protected] or file a complaint online at www.nassauda.org