Dog In A Cage Trapped On Beach As Tide Rose In Highlands

HIGHLANDS, NJ — Someone left a pit bull locked inside a cage on a beach in Highlands Monday morning, and police say the animal could have drowned as the rising tide came up. The Monmouth County prosecutor is investigating this incident as a potential animal cruelty case.

At about 6:15 a.m. Monday a Highlands resident was walking their dog in Veterans Memorial Park on Bay Avenue when their dog was alerted by something on the water side of the rock bulkhead, the prosecutor's office said in an alert.

As the passerby investigated, they spotted a black wire cage with a small dog cowering inside it. The cage was on a small portion of sand between the bulkhead and the water. The tide was coming in and the water had reached the cage. That photo above and below were taken by the passerby, and show the level the water had risen to when they found the dog.

The Good Samaritan climbed over the wall and rescued the dog. The dog was taken to the Highlands police department, who then called Animal Control and then the county prosecutor.

"If not for the heroic rescue act of the Good Samaritan, the dog could have potentially drowned," the county prosecutor said in a statement. "Due to the tide schedule, we estimate that the dog was placed there between 4:00 a.m. and 6:00 a.m. The dog is described as a male gray and white pit bull, approximately one year old."

Anyone who has any information on who owns this dog or may have witnessed anything please notify the MCPO Animal Cruelty Hot Line 877-898-7297 or notify the Highlands Police Dept. at (732) 872-1224.

Photos taken by the Good Samaritan, via the Monmouth County Prosecutor's Office