Animal cruelty charge for Manorville woman

A Manorville woman faces an animal-cruelty charge after a tip from a Westhampton veterinarian, the Suffolk County SPCA said Thursday.

Claudette Lacast, 56, of 174 Eastport Manor Rd., was arrested Wednesday by SPCA detectives after a vet at the Bideawee pet hospital alerted police about the condition of Lacast's 3-month-old mixed breed puppy, authorities said. She received a desk appearance ticket.

Suffolk SPCA Chief Roy Gross said the male puppy had hypothermia, severe emaciation and frostbite on its ears. Gross said the puppy's temperature didn't register on a thermometer and that it likely would have survived only a few more hours.

The puppy is in critical condition, Gross said, and could lose its ears because of the frostbite.

In a release, the SPCA also said nine additional mix-breed dogs were seized at Lacast's residence. Those dogs were malnourished, had trouble walking and also had skin problems and parasites, the SPCA said.