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

On New Year's Eve, the New Jersey Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (NJSPCA) received an urgent call from a Central New Jersey landlord, who said he found three dogs, one of which was a puppy, starving and abandoned in an apartment. The puppy is pictured above, in a photo provided by the NJSPCA.

The rescue agency won't say which town the rescue occurred in, however, because the municipal Animal Control Officer (ACO) there refused to help, the SPCA says.

"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 Law Enforcement Division.

"We are not naming the town or the Animal Control Officer," NJSPCA spokesman Matt Stanton told Patch when pressed for details. "We have to work with this town and ACO again and aren't looking to throw anyone under the bus. But we expect people to do the job they're paid to do."

The town is not in Middlesex County, he added. Update: Patch exclusively learned the town where this happened was Trenton, NJ.

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

The landlord first found the starving animals when he entered an apartment to conduct a walk-through in the afternoon on New Year's Eve. As soon as he walked in the door, he found three dogs abandoned, one of which was a puppy in immediate need of medical attention. The landlord said he called the local police, local animal control and the NJSPCA.

The NJSPCA says it was the only agency to respond.

“Once we received the call, an NJSPCA sergeant on duty for the New Year’s holiday weekend left his family holiday party and responded to the scene at 4 p.m.,” said Rizzo. “The puppy was skin and bones and in need of immediate healthcare, food and water. It is pretty clear to us that all three animals were abandoned and likely left to die.”

“Calls were immediately placed to the municipal Animal Control Officer to provide assistance. To our dismay, the ACO 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,'" he added.

Rizzo said the sergeant found this completely unacceptable and reminded the ACO that as a full-time employee with a salary and benefits, the ACO is mandated by State law to provide animal control services 24 hours a day, seven days a week. After spending hours at the scene, the NJSPCA sergeant pushed the issue and demanded the ACO respond or face criminal charges, according to Rizzo.

Finally the dog was transported by the municipal animal officer to a medical care facility.

However, on New Year's Day, the municipal officer and the medical facility where the dog was being treated demanded the dog be removed. The SPCA sergeant was able to arrange for an animal rescue group to take the dog, provide necessary care and find it a new home. The SPCA sergeant drove the abandoned puppy to the rescue home.

The puppy is now stable, receiving necessary care and has a good prognosis, the NJSPCA said.

“At this time, we are not revealing the location of the crime or the other agencies involved in this case,” said Steve Shatkin, President of the NJSPCA, in a statement. “The point here is this is just one example of how complicated one animal cruelty case can become. A holiday weekend, no room at the shelter, concerns about who is going to pay for all this and the only agency to step up and do the right thing is the NJSPCA and a dedicated NJSPCA Sergeant who receives almost no salary for his efforts.”

“A criminal investigation is ongoing and a statewide manhunt will begin on Tuesday morning to find the owner of the puppy," Rizzo added. "Once the owner is found, he will be prosecuted to the full extent of the law.”