Monmouth Co. Prosecutor Now Looking For Person Who Left Puppy To Die

NEPTUNE, NJ — Detectives with the Monmouth County Prosecutor are now looking for the person — or persons — who nearly starved a pit bull puppy to death, and left the dog by the side of the road in Neptune Township.

Anyone with information about who neglected to feed this dog and then abandoned it is urged to contact SPCA investigators at 732-440-1539. Animal cruelty charges in New Jersey can include third- and fourth-degree criminal offenses, punishable by a maximum of five years in state prison.

A man passing by said he found the puppy, which police describe as "severely emaciated," at about 8 p.m. Saturday near the intersection of Bangs and Myrtle avenues, about two blocks from his home on Monroe Avenue.

At first took the dog in, but then at noon on Sunday he contacted the Monmouth SPCA's emergency number when he realized the puppy was too sick for him to adequately care for her.

The puppy is a tan female pit bull mix estimated to be 8-10 weeks old and named “Matilda” by her caregivers.

She was rushed to the Monmouth County SPCA shelter in Eatontown for urgent medical care.

A video posted to the SPCA's Facebook page showed the puppy curled in a fetal position upon arrival, her head shaking, unable to move, suffering from severe dehydration and hunger. Shelter workers said they truly did not think Matilda was going to survive. They first started by giving her IV fluids.

By Wednesday, however, Matilda has now shown small signs of improvement, having started socializing with other dogs at the shelter and eating.

“The degree of neglect this defenseless puppy endured to wind up in the state she
is currently in is, in a word, unfathomable,” said Monmouth County Prosecutor Raymond Santiago. “We are hopeful that someone who lives in or frequents this area may have some information that would allow us to identify who is responsible."

Puppy On 'Brink Of Death' Found On Neptune Road