BY ELAINE VAN DEVELDE
Staff Writer
EDISON — The New Jersey Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals has filed a complaint against the township animal control officer for euthanizing a kitten without a veterinarian’s approval.
SPCA officer Lazaro Berna filed an animal cruelty charge against Gerald Fedroff for euthanizing the kitten on Aug. 5, one day after he was brought to the shelter.
Fedroff could not be reached for comment.
"The whole thing is an unfortunate incident," said township Health Department Director John Grun on Monday. "The animal was sick, according to the husband and wife who brought it to our shelter Aug. 4."
Grun said that by the second day, the kitten’s eyes were shut with mucous and it had a nasal discharge.
Fedroff thought the kitten had distemper, said Grun.
But a serious illness like distemper is something that a layman should never attempt to diagnose, said Stuart Rhodes, president of the New Jersey Society for the Prevention of Animals.
"There are many reasons why the animal could have displayed the behavior it did," said Rhodes. "A diagnosis requires certified clinical work."
The kitten was not taken to a veterinarian and was put down on Aug. 5, the second day it arrived at the shelter, said Grun.
The exact charge filed against Fedroff was "needlessly killing a living animal or creature," Rhodes said.
"If he is convicted, he will lose his certification as an animal control officer," he said. "The penalties are up to a $1,000 fine and/or six months in jail and up to 30 days community service."
Mayor George A. Spadoro issued a statement apologizing to the kitten’s owner and said the health department was reviewing procedures to make sure a similar incident did not happen in the future.
"When I received reports about an individual claiming our animal shelter had acted inappropriately in the handling of an apparent stray cat, I instructed Health Department Director John Grun and Police Chief Edward Costello to immediately conduct a thorough investigation of the matter," Spadoro said.
"As a result of this investigation, it is clear that the shelter did euthanize a cat that was in fact owned by Ms. [Wendy] Raisch, a Woodbridge resident," he said in the statement.
"I am glad that the Edison mayor and the people in the township are taking responsibility for what happened and are taking steps to assure that it will never happen again," Rhodes said. "This is something that should never have happened."
The state mandates that animals deemed strays and brought to shelters stay there for a minimum of seven days before they are put to sleep. A vet must see the animals first before any determination is made to euthanize them.
The animal came to Edison from the Fords section of Woodbridge. The couple that found it picked it up at Flynn’s Funeral Home, Ford Avenue. They brought it to their home on Starkin Avenue, Edison, and then to the Edison Animal Shelter, said Grun.
"If we had known that it came to us from Woodbridge, we would not have accepted it," he said.
"But it was accepted here and, to ensure that something like this does not happen again, I have reviewed all procedures and policies and the law with respect to this and similar situations with the staff," Grun added.
"As a result of the incident, all animals now brought into the Edison shelter will be seen by a veterinarian to review their health status if there is cause to believe they are ill or impaired," Grun said.
"Even if they are at the shelter past the seven days and there is reason to believe they are ill or impaired, the vet has to see them before they are put to sleep," he said. "That applies to all strays as well, ill or not."
A licensed veterinarian will consult on each case, Spadoro said in the statement.
"I offer my sincerest apologies to Ms. Raisch for this unfortunate incident that led to her loss," he said. "I can assure all Edison residents that we are committed to the humane treatment of all animals brought to our animal shelter."

