FRESH MEADOWS — A Fresh Meadows man is facing charges after he allegedly deprived two dogs of food and water, resulting in the death of one of the animals, Nassau County District Attorney Kathleen Rice said.
The DA said Mark Ballew, 29, was put in charge of caring for two pitbulls at a home in Valley Stream, L.I. in May but failed to care for the dogs properly, neglecting to give them food or water or keep up their hygiene.
Police later found one of the dogs lying dead in a cage the DA said was covered in feces, and the floor had been partially eaten through by maggots.
A pathologist ruled the cause of the starvation due to neglect, the DA said.
A second pitbull, the DA said, was underweight and heavily soiled. It was recovered from the home and taken to a shelter, according to the criminal complaint.
Ballew was charged with two counts of failure to provide proper sustenance and is due back in court in October, the DA said.
