Bellport man charged after 2 severely malnourished dogs found, SPCA says

A Bellport man faces two misdemeanor counts of animal cruelty after admitting to being the owner of two severely malnourished pit bulls, the Suffolk County SPCA said.

Ra Quan Wessley, 22, was issued a field appearance ticket and is due in First District Court in Central Islip on Jan. 24, said Roy Gross, chief of the SPCA.

Each charge carries a maximum 1 year in jail and/or a $1,000 fine.

The police agency acted on a tip Friday evening and investigated where the male dogs were at in a house on Robinwood Drive East in Mastic Beach.

“Two dogs were in the yard living in a dirt-filled, metal fenced kennel with no food or water,” Gross said Saturday. “The bowls were empty. One of the dogs looks like a skeleton.” The two dogs plus another inside the house were taken to the Brookhaven Animal Shelter.

Wessley was found at his home in Bellport. While he didn’t live at the home Mastic Beach, he admitted to being the owner of the dogs, Gross said.

The investigation is ongoing. Additional charges may be added.