Atlantic City Woman Charged in Dog Abandonment Case

A woman who abandoned her dog outside the Humane Society of Atlantic County in Atlantic City one night last month was allowed to reclaim the dog, but has been charged by Atlantic City Police with animal abandonment, cruelty to animals, and failure to provide necessary care for an animal, according to NJ.com

On Tuesday, May 26th, the 54-year-old Atlantic City resident left her dog, named Blue,   chained outside at the Humane Society of Atlantic County for over nine hours until staffers found the dog the next morning.

Surveillance video from the Humane Society of Atlantic County showed a car parked on the street near a neighboring gas station on Absecon Boulevard in Atlantic City, and then showed the car driving off without the dog.

Shelter Deal With Excessive Dog Dumping Cases

Although this case seems to indicate that other things factored into this dog owner leaving her pet, dog dumping is a constant problem for animal shelters in South Jersey.

Even though some will say that leaving a dog outside an animal shelter is a more caring way of getting rid of a dog than leaving it on the road or elsewhere, dog dumping is something that New Jersey animal shelters take very seriously.

Tying an animal to a pole and leaving it in the rain and cold is a crime.

Leaving a dog outside a shelter is called animal abandonment or dumping. This is distinct from a legal "pet surrender," which requires filling out official paperwork and speaking with shelter staff.

The Humane Society of Atlantic County has a page on its website devoted to surrendering animals and how it should be done if necessary.