EATONTOWN — In early January, police responding to a domestic dispute in Eatontown encountered a sickening sight: A family dog had been stabbed in the chest with a knife.
The young pit bull, who is named Trouble, was saved by emergency surgery at Garden State Veterinary Specialists in Eatontown. Then he was turned over to the Monmouth County Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, which runs a large animal shelter in Eatontown.
The Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office charged Malcom Rogers, 62, with third-degree animal cruelty and a related third-degree weapons offense.
There are plenty of animal lovers who would adopt Trouble in a heartbeat — except they can’t, because the unusual circumstances of this case expose a flaw in the legal system.
Trouble, a young pit bull, is staying at the Monmouth County SPCA in Eatontown.
What’s your pet’s name? Luna, Milo and Daisy among top pet names in New Jersey
“What happens a lot of times in these animal cruelty cases is the owner will surrender the animal over to the SPCA,” said SPCA executive director Ross Licitra, who is a retired police officer and an elected Monmouth County commissioner. “That’s not always an admission of guilt, but it’s done so the animal can move through the system quickly and get adopted out.”
That’s not the case with Trouble, who Licitra estimates is 3 or 4 years old.
“Since the owners have disputed the case and refuse to relinquish ownership to the shelter, Trouble is being held here pending the court case being completed,” Licitra said. “God knows how long that will be. It could be a few months or a few years. I’ve had dogs here for four or five years until the court case was adjudicated.”
A spokesman for the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office said Rogers’ next court appearance is tentatively scheduled for April 7.
“The key — and this is something we’re trying to do — is to get our lawmakers to pass some kind of legislation that makes these type of trials move more quickly through the courts, so these poor creatures aren’t sitting in a shelter waiting for their destiny to be determined,” Licitra said. “It’s a very stressful environment at the shelter and he (Trouble) is already showing signs of stress. Animals don’t understand why they’re here, even though his owner is accused of stabbing him. They don’t know they’re here for their own good.”
Pet safety: How cold is too cold to walk your dog in New Jersey?
On March 3 the SPCA went public about Trouble’s plight, posting about his story on social media and launching a fundraiser to help cover his care. Although the owner is technically on the hook for that cost, “you know as well as I do — we’re never getting any money from them for this,” Licitra said.
Public response has been impressive: nearly $10,000 donated in the first five days.
“The SPCA has an incredible following,” Licitra said. “We rely on the public to be there to support us, and we’re so thankful that they always do.”
Although Licitra doesn’t believe Trouble was involved in dogfighting, his experience in sheltering dogs rescued from fighting rings that result in court trials is that “it takes three or four years” to resolve and “our bill is $60,000 or $70,000 to care for those animals,” he said.
Exotic pet: How a lizard named Barack and a knife led to Neptune teacher’s arrest
Trouble gets a checkup at the Monmouth County SPCA in Eatontown.
At some point, if things drag on as expected, the SPCA will look into moving Trouble to a foster home as a stopgap. Eventually, Licitra said, “there is no doubt in my mind there will be line of people who want to adopt Trouble.”
The young dog is good natured and has recovered nicely from his wound, Licitra said.
Trouble takes a snooze at the Monmouth County SPCA in Eatontown.
WorldAtlas: 11 deadliest animals you might encounter in NJ
Now he waits for the slow gears of justice to grind ahead.
“It’s not fair,” Licitra said. “This is a living creature who wants a home and wants to be loved.”
To donate to the Monmouth County SPCA’s care of Trouble, visit https://giving.classy.org/campaign/775505/donate.
Jerry Carino is community columnist for the Asbury Park Press, focusing on the Jersey Shore’s interesting people, inspiring stories and pressing issues. Contact him at jcarino@gannettnj.com.
This article originally appeared on Asbury Park Press: Monmouth SPCA seeks help caring for pit bull as court case lingers
