Dog and 7 puppies abandoned in home, puppies die
Bridgeton, NJ (US)Incident Date: Thursday, Jul 28, 2005
County: Cumberland
Disposition: Alleged
Abuser names unreleased
City police and animal control discovered seven dead puppies inside a vacant East Commerce Street home on the afternoon of July 28, according to the county's Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.
The puppies' mother, an emaciated, black and white pit bull, was taken to the SPCA shelter in Vineland by city Animal Control Officer Bill Knipe, according to Beverly Greco, director of cruelty investigations for the SPCA.
Police had received a call around 3:30 that Thursday afternoon indicating that there was an abandoned dog at 565 E. Commerce St., Greco said. Those who responded found more than an abandoned dog on the home's porch.
Greco estimated that the puppies, which were roughly four to five weeks old, had been separated from their mother and abandoned inside the vacant home for about a week.
"I'm guessing they starved to death," Greco said.
It might not have mattered had the mother been with its puppies -- it was so emaciated it likely would not have been able to produce milk for them, Greco said.
SPCA investigators are focusing on three men in their investigation into the abandonment of the dogs -- the last leaseholder of the home and two men who police found court summonses for inside the home's mailbox.
The home's last tenants had recently been evicted, according to Greco, noting police indicated to the SPCA that there was an eviction notice from the county sheriff's department affixed to the side of the home.
She added that the property owner is from outside the city. References |
