NJ woman charged in drowning of puppy found in weighted cage
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}A New Jersey woman has been charged with two counts of animal cruelty as well as defiant trespassing in the drowning death of a 10-week-old puppy, according to a report.
Tonya Fea, 47, of Jefferson Township, faces up to 10 years in state prison if found guilty of both animal cruelty charges, plus a maximum of 30 days in county jail if convicted of defiant trespassing.
The puppy, posthumously dubbed "Jenny," was discovered soaked and “ice cold” inside a cage submerged in a West Milford pond by a rescue officer on April 30, authorities said Tuesday.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Tonya Fea. (West Milford Police Department)
The Last Resort Animal Rescue center wrote on its Facebook page that the cage was weighed down with a heavy crystal vase and noted that puppy training pads were stuck to the dogs head with a small amount of blood.
"The official autopsy report confirm[s] that drowning was the cause of death," the rescue wrote on Facebook. "Jenny was ALIVE and was intentionally drowned by this monster."
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{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Fea's next court appearance is scheduled for May 22.