MONMOUTH COUNTY – The Monmouth County SPCA recently rescued a dog after it was left abandoned outside in the freezing cold.
Authorities were alerted that a dog was left outside, tethered by a short chain. Coco, a 10-year-old Rottweiler, was found with no food or water on a concrete pad with no protection from the elements.
After Coco was recovered, she was brought to the Eatontown shelter. Along with being properly evaluated, she was given food, water, and a comfortable place to rest in order to warm up.
Monmouth County SPCA said Coco’s bloodwork showed she may have kidney stones in addition to a genetic eye condition which affects her vision and is likely a result of careless breeding.
Officials were able to track down Coco’s owners and identified them as Iquan Carson and Shonquel Lindsey of Neptune. According to the Monmouth County SPCA, both owners had vacated their home when their pipes froze, leaving Coco alone for three days and nights with temperatures reaching below freezing.
Coco will remain under the care of the MCSPCA so she can be monitored and treated. Caretakers described Coco as a gentle, loyal, and loving dog.
“We can’t fathom what this sweet dog had been feeling when she was freezing on a concrete pad for days, it must have felt like a lifetime,” said Ross Licitra, Executive Director of the MCSPCA. “This type of cruelty will not be tolerated and we will continue to prosecute offenders to the fullest extent of the law. We are the leaders of Humane Law Enforcement in the State of New Jersey for this reason.”
Coco’s former owners have now been charged with two counts of animal cruelty: Cruel Restraint and Failure to Provide Necessary Care.
At this time, Coco is not yet available for adoption, but the shelter encourages interested families to keep an eye on social media postings and the website. To donate towards Coco’s care, along with the thousands of other animals being cared for at the Monmouth County SPCA, visit bit.ly/3sUE2mP.
Charges are merely accusations until proven in a court of law.
