Toms River Man Gets Probation In Gassing Dog With Car Fumes

by Karen Wall

The Toms River man who gassed his dog to death by enclosing him in a cage and hooking it up to the tailpipe of a car has been sentenced to probation and community service, Ocean County Prosecutor Joseph D. Coronato said.

Clifford Robbins, 76, of Toms River, must serve two years of probation, 30 hours of community service, submit to mental health counselling, surrender his pet cat to a local animal rescue group and waive his right to ever own any companion pet for the rest of his life, said Al Della Fave, spokesman for the prosecutor.

Robbins was convicted of third-degree animal cruelty in the April 14, 2014 incident, where Toms River police found the dog, Mocha, dead inside a sealed animal travel carrier connected to the exhaust of Robbins’ vehicle. Officials from the NJ SPCA asked the prosecutor’s office to look into the case and the prosecutor’s office ordered a necropsy -- an animal autopsy -- on Mocha, as well as an investigation into his death, Della Fave said.

“I commend Assistant Prosecutor (Heidi) Tannenbaum-Newman’s efforts in assuring Robbins was prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law,“ Coronato said. “The successful conviction of Robbins on the charge of third-degree cruelty to animals is the highest degree statute possible by law within the state of New Jersey.”

Craig Saltarelli, one of the organizers of the group Justice for Mocha, which pressed for further investigation into the case, said the group is very happy with the outcome of the case.

“We knew Clifford Robbins would never get jail time due to his age,” said Saltarelli, who was in the courtroom when Robbins was sentenced. “Justice for Mocha would like to really give thanks to the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office; without them this would have never happened. They really took this serious and have shown the people of Ocean County that if you kill or hurt an animal that you will be held accountable.”

“We were shown today that Clifford Robbins was in fact guilty for killing his dog Mocha,” Saltarelli said. “We are just so happy that all the work that the Justice For Mocha Group put in paid off today. We showed others that if you kill or hurt your animal, groups just Like Justice For Mocha will do whatever it takes to make sure you’re held accountable.”