Dogs Crying With No Food, Water In 'Deplorable' Garage: SPCA

MASTIC BEACH, NY — A Mastic Beach woman has been charged with animal cruelty after two pit bulls were found crying in a garage with no food or water, the Suffolk County SPCA said.

On Friday, Jan. 3, the Suffolk County SPCA charged Alicia Ringgold, 48, with two counts of animal cruelty, SPCA Chief Roy Gross said. He added that SPCA detectives responded to a home on Huntington Drive in Mastic after a complaint that people were hearing dogs "whining and crying" from inside a detached garage on the property.

One of the SPCA detectives questioned the homeowner, Ringgold, about the dogs and she was "hesitant to answer questions," Gross said.

Gross added that while waiting at the scene for additional SPCA officers to arrive, one officer saw smoke rising from the structure where the dogs were being kept. A call was placed to 911 and Suffolk County Police and Mastic Fire Dept. personnel arrived a short time later, the SPCA said.

Fire personnel instructed Ringgold to remove the dogs from the garage for their safety while the source of the smoke, which turned out to be wet wood in a wood-burning stove, was being investigated, the SPCA said.

SPCA personnel observed that both pit bulls "were extremely thin," Gross said. The garage where the dogs were kept was inspected by SPCA detectives and was found to be in "deplorable conditions," Gross added. "There was also no source of water or food present for the dogs."

Ringgold's return date to court is scheduled for Jan. 23, the SPCA said.