Monmouth Senator Wants To Increase Penalties for Animal Abuse

MIDDLETOWN, NJ — We all remember River, the pit bull puppy left to drown in a cage in the Shrewsbury River in Highlands this summer.

Or what about Mocha? That's the Toms River dog that police say in 2014 was put by his owner in a sealed animal travel carrier and connected by a hose to the exhaust pipe of the man's car. Mocha was gassed to death. After he was found guilty, what punishment did his owner, Clifford Robbins, 76, get? Two years of probation and 30 hours of community service.

The incidents of Ocean and Monmouth county dogs being maliciously attacked by their owners is stunning, and it's prompted one local state Senator to introduce legislation in Trenton that significantly increases the penalties for someone caught violently abusing an animal.

Senator Declan O’Scanlon, a Republican who represents NJ Legislative District 13, said he plans to introduce legislation that will create the crime of aggravated animal abuse, establishing it as a new crime in the state of New Jersey. It would bring with it longer jail times.

“Only a cruel coward would have the audacity to abuse or kill an innocent dog. I was appalled to read what happened to the dog in Ocean County," said O'Scanlon, referring to Mocha. "No living creature should suffer through such catastrophic levels of abuse. And anyone who abuses an animal should not be able to walk away with a slap on the wrist.”

Under the legislation, depending on the severity of the case, a person convicted of the new offense of aggravated animal abuse would either be convicted of a second-degree or third-degree crime, and face the associated stringent penalties for such offenses.

“It is widely recognized that the penalties for animal abuse are not nearly severe enough to deter people in New Jersey from committing these atrocious crimes. It’s placing the lives of pets and people risk,” he said.

More than 70 percent of animal abuse cases involve dogs, according the Humane Society. 65 percent of people who are arrested for animal cruelty have also been arrested for battery against another human.

Additionally, under O’Scanlon’s bill, an individual who is convicted of aggravated animal abuse may also be required to complete mandatory mental health counseling.

O'Scanlon, a Republican who lives in Little Silver, represents New Jersey's 13th legislative district in the state Legislature. The 13th district includes the Monmouth County towns of Aberdeen, Atlantic Highlands, Fair Haven, Hazlet, Highlands, Holmdel, Keansburg, Keyport, Little Silver, Marlboro, Middletown, Monmouth Beach, Oceanport, Rumson, Sea Bright and Union Beach.

Ongoing Patch reporting:

Toms River Man Gets Probation For Gassing Dog With Car Fumes

Warrant Issued In Connection With River, The Dog Left In Cage To Drown

Photo of River provided to Patch by a woman who fostered him after he was saved.