2-Year-Old Bichon Frisé Found Abandoned in N.J. Dumpster During Arctic Blast
Police have charged a 26-year-old Old Bridge resident with animal neglect and animal abandonment
A dog was left to fend for itself after being abandoned in a dumpster on a freezing New Jersey night.
Maintenance workers at the Glenwood Apartments in Old Bridge, New Jersey found a small white dog in a trash bin on the morning of Tuesday, Jan. 21 just after 9 a.m. Police determined that the dog was left at approximately 10 p.m. the night before, according to Old Bridge Township Police Department.
Surveillance footage from Monday night showed a young man carrying the white dog in his arms and then placing the pup inside the dumpster. According to the National Weather Service, temperatures that night in Old Bridge ranged from 10 to 13 degrees.
"He poked his head out of the dumpster when the maintenance guy drove by. They took him because nobody else was around," Officer Michael Shannon told WABC.
In a post to Facebook, police urged residents in the apartment complex to check for and offer any relevant surveillance footage in hopes of identifying the man who abandoned the dog.
"Everyone was cooperating and willing to help us," added Detective Jessica Nierodzik when speaking with the outlet. "Glenwood Management helped us get everything we needed."
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Additional video footage led police to identify the man as a 26-year-old resident of the township, though his name has not been released. He has been charged with animal neglect and animal abuse, Newsbreak reported.
The dog, a 2-year-old Bichon Frisé named Scotty, is in good health, NJ.com reported, and is under the care and protection of the Old Bridge Animal Shelter. The shelter said in a Jan. 22 Facebook post that they'd been inundated with "phone calls, emails and messages" about Scotty, but that he's "not currently available for adoption or foster."
"We truly appreciate your enthusiasm for giving him a loving home. He is under the care of our vet and waiting to be groomed," they wrote.
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