Hoarding - 26 dogs seized
Clifton, NJ (US)Incident Date: Friday, Aug 6, 2010
County: Passaic
Disposition: Alleged
Alleged: Joanne Zak
Case Updates: 1 update(s) available
A homeowner in New Jersey is facing charges of animal cruelty after more than two dozen dogs were found in her garbage-filled home.
Neighbors thought the stench coming from the house on Brighton Road in Clifton was a gas leak.
But when officers arrived, they discovered 26 dogs, some reportedly in pitiful health.
Conditions were so toxic that HazMat teams took turns going inside.
Homeowner Joanne Zak was arrested and faces multiple charges of animal cruelty.
She is being held on multiple charges of animal cruelty in the Clifton jail.
Case UpdatesMost of the dogs rescued on Brighton Road last week were recovering nicely Monday, and most will be available for adoption as early as next week.
Four, however, were in such terrible shape that they had to be humanely destroyed to spare them further suffering, said officials at the Clifton Shelter.
On Monday afternoon, Joanne Zak, the owner of the house at 179 Brighton Road at which 25 caged dogs were rescued last Thursday, agreed to turn over custody of the pets to Clifton, said City Manager Al Greco.
Zak, who was released Friday after family members paid $35,000 for her bail, is cooperating with officials, Greco said.
City officials added two more animal cruelty charges against Zak on Friday after officials discovered the carcasses of two dead cats in the home. She faces a total of 27 counts: 25 for the dogs, two for the cats.
Zak and her family agreed to take responsibility for cleaning up the Brighton Road home, which was declared a health hazard by the city. Clifton officials gave her a 30-day deadline to clean up the home, where debris, rodents and noxious odors have drawn complaints from neighbors. She will be permitted to return to the house once it is cleaned up, officials said.
Zak could not be reached for comment on Monday.
The dogs were rescued by police, fire and animal rescue workers Thursday afternoon after neighbors called about a gas odor emanating from the home. Emergency personnel knocked down the front door and found neglected animals in the poorly ventilated house, many living in their own feces.
Since the incident was publicized, offers of help and donations have poured into the shelter, officials said.
"We need donations to cover the costs of veterinary care," said Robert Boyle, chief of the Passaic County Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.
Some rescue groups and at least one veterinarian have offered to take care of the neediest dogs, said Evelyn Ackley-Raps of Friends of the Shelter of Clifton. Everyone else can get information on dog adoption by logging on to the Clifton Shelter website at Cliftonanimalshelter.com.
The dogs were bathed, fed and given medical attention, but not all the dogs could to be saved.
"They were terribly ill �" with heart murmurs, bad eyes, no teeth, underweight and advanced in age and suffering from multiple medical conditions, and it was felt they couldn't bear the stress of medical care," Raps said.
After consulting with veterinarians, shelter officials had no choice but to destroy four of them, she said.
Raps said most of the dogs are improving by leaps and bounds. One dog appeared miserable in the first days, as it if had no will to live, she said.
"When I picked it up from the vet this morning, the dog jumped up and wagged its tail. He licked my hand and jumped into the crate. He was just kissing everybody," she said. "The before-and-after is an amazing contrast."
Boyle said that Zak initially had the best intention, which was to rescue the animals, but it went awry.
"What's sad is that she thought she was saving these animals, and it totally got away from her. We are going to ask the judge to rule that she not be able to have animals ever again." | Source: northjersey.com - Aug 10, 2010
Update posted on Nov 1, 2010 - 10:52AM |
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