Mom, newborn pups dumped in NJ

PASSAIC COUNTY (WABC) -- Police in New Jersey say the owner of a bulldog mix and her nine just-born puppies dumped them, and he is now facing charges. Cops say he abandoned the mother and pups in a preserve in Passaic County.

A jogger found Hazel and her litter at the Garret Mountain Reservation in Woodland Park and called police after he apparently spotted them being dropped off out of a van.

Hazel and her puppies are now recovering in Wanaque.

The pup was reportedly covered in blood from the delivery, and is believed to be between 2 and 4 years old.

Officials say that on Memorial Day, Hazel had just had her litter at a home in Mount Olive. Something set her off, and she reportedly bit three people and another dog.

When Mount Olive animal control came to quarantine her, she and her puppies where gone. They showed up miles away in the park, and that's when Passaic's animal control officer, Lysa DeLaurentis, got a call from Mount Olive animal control officer William Cirone, who had the original owner.

Apparently, when the owner heard that Hazel had bitten someone, he took her and her puppies and dumped them. Once he found out that police were on to him, Cirone says he came back to find the dogs. That's when Passaic officers found him.

All the puppies are doing well. Hazel is still agitated, but the story ended well. Delaurentis says not all of them do.

The dog's owner faces charges of animal cruelty and 10 counts of animal abandonment. Each offense carries a maximum $1,000 fine. The owner could also face 30 days of community service and jail time.

To contact Lysa DeLaurentis about adoption or to donate money or supplies, call 973-616-8569 or e-mail LLDCCM@aol.com.

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WEB PRODUCED BY: Bill King

NEW YORK AND TRI-STATE AREA NEWS

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