Litter of abandoned puppies left outside in box rescued by Monmouth County SPCA

Nicolas Fernandes, Asbury Park Press
·2 min read
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HOWELL - A litter of puppies is being cared for by the Monmouth County SPCA after a good Samaritan found them sitting in a box at an outdoor flea market in Howell.

The box, found at the Collingwood Auction & Flea Market about three weeks ago, contained nine puppies and was mixed in with piles of garbage, MCSPCA spokesperson Lindsay Sanator said.

Following the report, the shelter’s Animal Control recovered the litter.

Medical staff determined the puppies were about 24 hours old and still had umbilical cords attached to them, Sanator said.

They all suffered from dehydration and lethargy, or a lack of energy, MCSPCA said.

A litter of puppies was rescued after being abandoned in Howell.
A litter of puppies was rescued after being abandoned in Howell.

One of the puppies died, but the rest are being treated and are starting to recover, Sanator said.

“The entire mission of the Monmouth County SPCA is to prevent cruelty to animals, and when we see cases like this, it immediately becomes the priority of our Humane Law Enforcement Officers,” said Ross Licitra, executive director of the MCSPCA. "We urge anyone who has information to contact us, as we can only create a better future for the animals of Monmouth County with the help and support of our surrounding communities.”

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The same day that the box was found, MCSPCA Animal Control also rescued a 10-week-old pit bull that had been abused in Asbury Park, Sanator said.

After an alert from Asbury Park Police, Animal Control retrieved the puppy and brought him to an emergency animal hospital for treatment before bringing him to MCSPCA.

A 10-week-old abused pitbull was rescued in Asbury Park.
A 10-week-old abused pitbull was rescued in Asbury Park.

The pup, now named Laddy, suffered multiple skull fractures as well as lacerations to the head and ears as a result of blunt force trauma, Sanator said.

“There is never any excuse for the kind of cruelty that has been inflicted on the puppies in these two cases," said Nancy Blaney, director of government affairs for the Animal Welfare Institute. "If someone has an animal they don’t want, have the compassion to bring that animal to the SPCA. If resources are an issue, help is available."

The shelter’s Law Enforcement division is still investigating both cases.

The county SPCA is asking anyone with information about either case to call the Monmouth County Cruelty Hotline at 877-898-7297 or the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office Tip Line at 800-671-4400.

Nicolas Fernandes is the early morning breaking news reporter. A lifelong New Jersey resident, he has previously worked as a features writer and sports reporter. Contact him at 732-540-4401 or nfernandes@gannettnj.com

This article originally appeared on Asbury Park Press: Puppies abandoned at Howell flea market rescued by Monmouth SPCA