3 Charged For Abandoning Dogs In Atlantic County: Prosecutor

EGG HARBOR TOWNSHIP, NJ — Three Egg Harbor Township residents received multiple animal cruelty charges after abandoning two dogs in the woods, the Atlantic County Prosecutor's Office said.

The dogs were found abandoned by Egg Harbor Township police on Wilberforce Avenue, officials said. They were tied to a tree in a wooded area.

One dog was already dead, officials said. The other was emaciated and in need of immediate medical attention. They had been there for at least a week before police found them, an investigation found.

Derek Hardy, 58, Lassale Hardy, 56, and Shak Balayet, 51, all received two charges of third-degree animal cruelty and multiple charges of disorderly persons animal cruelty, officials said.

The Prosecutor's Office reminded residents that that any pets that can no longer be properly cared for, or are no longer wanted, can be surrendered to the Atlantic County Animal Shelter in Pleasantville or the Humane Society in Atlantic City.

Anyone with information regarding this incident is asked to contact the Atlantic County Prosecutor's Office at 609-909-7800 or go to the Prosecutor's Office website.