Two Elizabeth residents are charged with leaving an elderly and sickly dog chained up outside in unsanitary conditions without food or water, acting Union County Prosecutor Michael A. Monahan announced Thursday.
According to authorities, Moris and Glady Gamez, 47 and 48 years of age, respectively, are both charged with fourth-degree animal cruelty.
Officials say last week Elizabeth Police Department officers Daniel Campos and Matthew Hockenbury responded to a report by a concerned citizen of a case of alleged animal neglect, according to Union County Assistant Prosecutor Patricia Cronin, who manages the humane animal treatment subsection of the Prosecutor’s Office’s Special Prosecutions Unit. At a home on the 300 block of Magnolia Avenue, the officers found the dog, a shepherd mix, suffering from severe matting and numerous insect bites, chained up in a small section of a rear yard that was covered in debris and animal waste, Cronin said.
Authorities say the animal was surrendered to authorities and transported to the Elizabeth Animal Shelter for medical attention, through which it was determined that it is also suffering from cancer and arthritis.
“There needs to be wider recognition that New Jersey’s animal cruelty laws are written with very little tolerance for the neglect of pets,” Cronin said. “Animal owners may not leave their pets outside to fend for themselves against the elements, and those who do so will be prosecuted.”
Anyone with information about these matters or similar incidents is urged to contact Cronin at 908-527-4169 or Detective Vito Colacitti at 908-527-4387.
Convictions on fourth-degree crimes can be punishable by terms ranging from probation to 18 months in prison.
These criminal charges are mere accusations. Each defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.