A Long Island beautician was busted for animal cruelty after authorities discovered a mess of traumatized dogs – and about 200 pounds of their poop – in his home, cops said yesterday.
A tip led the Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals to the Mastic Park home of Daniel Freeman on Saturday, where they found 19 feces-smeared cocker spaniels, Lhasa apsos and miniature poodles in tiny cages.
“The smell was just overwhelming,” said Roy Gross, an SPCA official. “I can’t believe people can live in these conditions.”
Wearing breathing masks and protective suits, firefighters and SPCA workers removed the dogs.
Gross said an entire room was devoted to storing the excrement, saying, “The floor was giving way. It looked like he would just throw it in there.”
Freeman, a beautician, was charged with 19 counts of animal cruelty and faces $1,900 in fines and up to 19 years behind bars, authorities said.
The dogs were taken to a Southampton animal shelter and treated for open sores and tooth decay.