Breeder neglect - 15 puppies left in van for days
Tinton Falls, NJ (US)Incident Date: Thursday, Dec 17, 2009
County: Monmouth
Charges: Misdemeanor
Disposition: Alleged
Alleged: John Steib
A New York man who previously pleaded guilty to 17 counts of animal cruelty, was charged with 15 additional counts of animal cruelty after authorities say the puppies were left in his cold van for days.
Police were called by a hotel worker who heard the animals crying and had asked the man to care for them, officials said.
John Steib, 61 of Mexico, N.Y., was staying at the Red Roof in Tinton Falls when a worker Thursday noticed puppies crying and barking inside his van, said Victor "Buddy" Amato, the police chief of the Monmouth County Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. The worker asked Steib on Thursday about the care of the animals considering the cold temperatures and Steib reassured her they would be cared for, Amato said.
The worker heard the animals in the van, parked in the rear of the hotel, again on Saturday. She called Tinton Falls police. Authorities including police, Amato and the Associated Humane Society responded and found 15 caged puppies inside the van, Amato said. The puppies were Siberian Huskies and Golden Retrievers, Amato said. The puppies were contained in wire cages, Amato said. The humane society took custody of the animals, Amato said.
Steib, who operated Freehold Township-based Northern Lights Siberians, pleaded guilty in Freehold Township Municipal Court in July to 17 counts of animal cruelty, according to previous Press reports.
The previous charges were the result of complaints related to Northern Lights for the past five years, which culminated in the cruelty charges filed in February. In July, Steib was fined $12,500 and ordered to pay $8,000 in restitution to dog owners for reimbursement of veterinary bills.
Steib is due to appear in Tinton Falls Municipal Court on Jan. 5 on the new charges, Amato said. References |
