A vile thug has been jailed for causing the death of 13 pit bulls
 that he trained to take part in barbaric dog fighting contests.

Anthony Reddick, 53, will also be banned from owning animals for 15 years.

The dogs died in February in a garage fire at the building in New York state where Reddick lived.

Kathleen Rice, the area's District Attorney, said: "The utter disregard for the safety and dignity of these animals shown by this defendant is truly shocking.

"Though nothing will ever erase their terrible suffering, with this sentence we are helping to ensure that he will no longer be a threat to animals for a significant period of time."

Reddick was sentenced by Nassau County Court judge David Sullivan to between one and three years in prison.

The District Attorney's office said when the emergency services responded to the blaze in Freeport on Long Island, they found the bodies, as well as three live dogs and dog fighting paraphernalia such as tethers, restraints and syringes.

The dead animals, which ranged from two months old to five years old, burned to death.

The day after the fire, investigators found another pit bull that lived in Reddick’s apartment. This animal had scars on its face that were consistent with dog fighting, the District Attorney's office said.

It added that Reddick admitted causing the death of the dogs. He also pleaded guilty to felony animal fighting, for breeding the dogs, and felony animal fighting for training the dogs.

He also pleaded guilty to charges of animal fighting and possessing fighting paraphernalia.

Prosecutors had sought the maximum sentence of between one year and four years in prison.