A Neptune Township man is facing animal cruelty charges after authorities say a dead pit bull was found in a trash bin and 10 other animals were pulled from his property. What began with a grim discovery has turned into another case of animal neglect in the region, and has left rescuers working to nurse a group of suffering dogs and kittens back to health.
The surviving animals are now in the hands of the Monmouth County SPCA, where their condition told the story of how they had been treated. Officials say they came in with signs of malnourishment, marks of being left outside, skin conditions and fleas, all of it consistent with an overall lack of care. Among them were two pit bulls that rescuers named Frenchie and Tinkerbell.
Not every animal made it out alive. Authorities say one of the dogs did not survive, and that after the dog died the man simply took its body and threw it into the trash, discarding it the way anyone would toss out ordinary garbage. Officials say the smell was so overpowering that it could be detected all the way down the street from the home.
The neglect unfolded at a home where more than animals were present. Neptune Township police say the animals were rescued from a residence on the 1200 block of Embry Avenue, and that a child was also living inside the home at the time. The presence of a child alongside the neglected and abused animals added another layer of concern to the case.
Rescue officials described the case as part of a broader and troubling pattern. They say animal cruelty and overbreeding are far too common in the Neptune and Asbury Park region of Monmouth County, an area they link to high rates of crime and drug activity that they say often go hand in hand with dog fighting and gambling that put animals at risk.
It was the public that ultimately brought the situation to light, with a tip leading authorities to the neglected animals. Despite what they endured, officials say the rescued dogs and kittens are all expected to make a complete recovery. Caretakers plan to have them spayed, treat their skin conditions and help them gain weight before they are ready for new homes.