EAST BRUNSWICK — The dog that made national headlines after surviving a euthanization and turning up alive in a landfill remains in the township while its euthanizer faces criminal charges.
The 5-year-old lab/shepherd mix spent the holidays at Blumig Kennels on Old Stage Road, where kennel owner Linda Blumig said it will remain for some time.
"Nothing will happen until after the trial or whatever," she said.
It has been determined that the dog, dropped off at the Perth Amboy city pound in early December because its owner was moving and could not bring the dog, is named Leah.
Joseph Biermann, an agent with the New Jersey State Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, said Perth Amboy Animal Control Officer William Paul is facing animal cruelty charges and if found guilty on any of them would automatically lose his animal control license. Biermann said the charges were brought by the Middlesex County SPCA, which conducted a parallel investigation with the state organization.
It is alleged that Paul violated legal procedures when dealing with the dog that turned up at the landfill. The charges were filed following a deposition from Paul that gave the county probable cause, according to Biermann.
When an officer euthanizes an animal, the dosage of the drug is supposed to be based on the animal’s weight.
"They didn’t even have a scale, so they guessed," Biermann said.
After giving an animal a euthanizing drug, the officer is supposed to listen in a quiet environment for a heartbeat, he said.
"It was done improperly. It was done in a noisy environment with other barking dogs around," he said of Paul’s work.
The situation of not properly handling the euthanization may not have been an isolated incident, Biermann said.
"It was more of a common practice that had been done for years," he said, stressing, however, that he does not feel Paul or anyone else meant to harm any animals.
"Basically, some simple, elementary procedures that were supposed to be followed by protocol were not followed, and that is in effect how that little doggie managed to live," he said.
Paul faces a fine of $1,000 or up to six months in jail, or both, Biermann said.
"These are heavy duty crimes," Biermann said.
He said the state will watch the outcome of the county’s charges, and if Paul is not found guilty, the state could still bring other charges against the officer "that would not be double jeopardy."
Paul has held the full-time job for many years, Biermann said, but has reportedly been suspended without pay from the position in Perth Amboy.
Meanwhile, in East Brunswick, Blumig said the kennel has now received more than 300 requests from people who want to adopt the dog. While many of those requests came from different parts of the United States, Blumig said she will likely seek a local owner.
— Vincent Todaro