It’s one thing to give away your dog, leave it at a shelter, or abandon it. But some people are cruel and sick and will leave a dog for dead.
A Highland, New Jersey resident found evidence of this when they were walking their dog in Veterans Memorial Park.
Jennifer Vaz’s was walking her own dog around 6:15 a.m. when her dog came across something alarming. The dog nudged Vaz toward the water side of a bulkhead.
What she saw was a black wire cage with a scared pit bull puppy inside. The cage was laid out on a tiny area of sand in between the bulkhead and water.
The tide was coming in and the water had reached the cage at this point.
“When I looked down, I saw these eyes looking back at me — these cute little puppy eyes all shivered up and scared,” Vaz told WABC. “I couldn’t believe that this happened in our town and somebody could be this malicious and do that to that dog.”
The Highland resident climbed over the wall to rescue the dog and took it to the Highlands police department.
Vaz also took pictures of the cage to show where it was in the water.
The police are investigating the crime as a potential animal cruelty case and are working with the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office.
“The tide was coming in and the water had reached the cage,” the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office said in a statement Monday. “When animal control arrived on the scene the cage was almost covered by the rising tide. If not for the heroic rescue act of the Good Samaritan, the dog could have potentially drowned. Due to the tide schedule, we estimate that the dog was placed there between 4:00 a.m. and 6:00 a.m. The dog is described as a male gray and white pit bull, approximately 1-year-old.”
The dog is now in the care of the county’s Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Center (SPCA).
Vaz gave him the name River.
“Although River is a bit shaken up, he is in good physical shape and seems to have been well cared for,” the SPCA said. “We are working with the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office to help bring justice to River.”
Those with any information on who owned the dog or know anything about this case are asked to notify the MCPO Animal Cruelty Hot Line at (877) 898-7297 or the Highlands Police Department at (732) 872-1224.
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