Nassau County District Attorney Kathleen Rice announced the sentencing of a Freeport man in a case involving a February residential garage fire that killed 13 pit bulls that were bred and trained for fighting. The court ordered the forfeiture of three other dogs that were found alive at the scene.
Anthony Reddick, 53, was sentenced by Nassau County Court Judge David Sullivan to one to three years in prison. Prosecutors requested the maximum sentence of 1-1/3 to four years in prison. As part of his sentence, Reddick will be prohibited from owning any other animals for a period of 15 years.
Reddick pleaded guilty in August to one count of felony animal fighting for breeding the dogs, one count of felony animal fighting for training the dogs, three counts of misdemeanor possession of animal fighting paraphernalia, and 16 misdemeanor animal fighting charges – one for each dog found.
“The utter disregard for the safety and dignity these animals shown by this defendant is truly shocking,” DA Rice said. “Though nothing will ever erase their terrible suffering, with this sentence we are helping to ensure that he will no longer be a threat to animals for a significant period of time. I would like to thank the Town of Hempstead Animal Shelter, the National ASPCA’s Blood Sports Division, the Nassau County Police Department and Freeport Police Department for their efforts to help protect animals.”
DA Rice said that Freeport Village fire and police officials found the dead dogs and dogfighting paraphernalia – as well as three live dogs – when responding to a garage fire at 101 Hillside Avenue in Freeport on Feb. 28. Reddick, the tenant of that multi-tenant home, left the scene soon after the arrival of authorities.
A search warrant executed at the home on March 1 by the DA Squad of the NCPD, with the assistance of Town of Hempstead Animal Control, revealed one additional pit bull, named KK, that lived in the house with Reddick and had face scarring consistent with dogfighting. Investigators also found breeding and training paraphernalia in the garage and in the house including:
Treadmills with dog tethers
Apparatus for restraining a female dog for breeding purposes
Syringes, various injectable medications, animal vitamin supplements, and wound care medications for dogs
Break-sticks with bite marks on them
Documents listing animal pairings, events, food recipes, and other written materials related to dogfighting activity
Also found at the home were a machete and wall posters depicting pit bulls with scarring on the face consistent with dogfighting.
DA Squad detectives tracked down and arrested Reddick in Hempstead on March 1.
The deceased dogs ranged in age from about two and a half months to five years old. Most had third-degree burns and all were burned to death in the fire.
Assistant District Attorney Matthew Libroia of DA Rice’s Animal Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case. Reddick is represented by Martha Leventhal, Esq. of the Legal Aid Society of Nassau County