Trenton Defends Animal Control Officer Accused of Refusing to Take In Dogs

TRENTON, NJ - The Trenton Animal Shelter is the one where an animal control officer is accused of refusing to pick up three starving dogs, including a puppy, over the New Year's holiday weekend, Patch has learned.

On the afternoon of New Year's Eve, a landlord in Trenton found three starving dogs abandoned in an apartment, one of which was an emaciated puppy (pictured above) and in need of immediate medical care. The landlord called the Trenton police, Trenton animal control and the NJSPCA.

The NJSPCA says it was the only agency to respond that afternoon, and that the municipal animal control officer refused to take in the dogs.

"To our dismay, the animal control officer responded that 'they were closed for the holiday, had no room at the shelter and did not want to pay the medical and care costs for the animal,'" said Frank Rizzo, Chief of the NJSPCA's Law Enforcement Division. In fact, Rizzo said it was only under threat of criminal charges that the animal control officer agreed to accept the dogs. The puppy was skin and bones and in need of immediate healthcare, food and water, he said.

The NJSPCA refuses to reveal which city the animal control officer worked for, saying they need to keep a good working relationship with the municipality. But Michael Walker, a spokesman for Trenton Mayor Eric Jackson, confirmed the incident happened in Trenton.

"I wasn't there so I can't speak to those allegations," he told Patch. "The end result is the animals are receiving care because of the city's role in the process. Trenton is not a small town. We have a lot of issues with pet owners who don't do the right things and we are often called to intercede. When we do, we are thoughtful and professional."

"There are two sides to every story," was all Elaine Thaxton, shelter manager at the Trenton Animal Shelter, would say when Patch called the shelter Tuesday morning.

As a taxpayer-funded shelter, the Trenton municipal animal shelter is required by state law to take in animals that need care.

The starving puppy was ultimately taken to an animal hospital on New Year's Eve. However just hours later, on New Year's Day, the municipal officer and the medical facility where the dog was being treated demanded the dog be removed, the NJSCPA said. It was finally an NJSPCA agent who found a private rescue group to take in the puppy, and drove it there.

The puppy remains with the private rescue group, and the two adults dogs are now at the Trenton shelter, a high-kill shelter.

Original story:

Starving Puppy, 2 Other Dogs Abandoned in Central Jersey Apartment, NJSPCA Says