Holtsville, NY - Sept. 6, 2018 - Detectives with the Suffolk County SPCA arrested a Holtsville man and charged him with animal cruelty on Wednesday, September 5th, 2018.
Joseph Specia, 50, was charged with 5 counts of animal cruelty for failure to provide proper sustenance including sanitary living conditions and veterinary care for 2 pit bulls, Natasha and Sasha, after getting into a fight. Natasha, who suffered the more severe injuries was unable to walk and was immediately transported to an emergency animal hospital. The home was deemed uninhabitable and condemned. All 5 dogs were removed from the property. The 4 other dogs were taken to Brookhaven Animal Shelter for medical evaluation.
Specia was arrested without incident and released on bail.
We would like to thank Suffolk County Police Dept., 5th Precinct and Emergency Services as well the Brookhaven Animal Shelter for their assistance.
Specia is scheduled to appear in First District Court in Central Islip on November 8, 2018.
Chief Gross said that animal cruelty will not be tolerated in Suffolk County. If you witness any incident of animal cruelty or neglect in Suffolk County please contact the Suffolk County SPCA at (631) 382-7722. All calls will be kept confidential.
A criminal charge is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.