A Labrador was seized after authorities allege the animal's owner taped the dog's muzzle shut to keep it from barking.
Floyd Cossaboon, 30, of Vineland, was arrested and is expected to be charged with a fourth-degree animal cruelty violation, according to Bev Greco, animal cruelty supervisor for the Cumberland County Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.
Cossaboon is a corrections officer at Bayside State Prison. He has been employed there since Feb. 15, 1997.
"We got our first report of this in March, but we were not able to catch him in the process," she said. "On Thursday, a Vineland police officer witnessed it when he responded to a call placed to the police department."
When the official responded to the location, Greco said, he saw the chocolate lab with it's muzzle wrapped in electrical tape, which they believe was done because of complaints from neighbors about the dog's barking.
"The dog has been seized and is in OK condition," Greco said.
In addition to the dogs muzzle being tapped, she said, animal officials were also concerned with the conditions in which the dog was being kept. SPCA officers noted Marley's pen wasn't much bigger than the dog. With all the metal, SPCA officials compared the interior conditions of the dog's abode to an oven.
If found guilty on the animal cruelty violation, she said, Cossaboon could face up to 18 months in jail and/or a fine of up to $10,000.
"This case will actually go up to Superior Court and the prosecutor will have to decide where it goes from there," Greco said.
The prosecutor's office confirmed they had knowledge of the case and said they were waiting for the arrest report before they proceeded any further.
The dog will stay impounded until the case is settled, Greco said.
"If Cossaboon is found guilty we would ask for ownership of the dog and we would try to adopt him out," she said. "He is an adaptable dog and he seems good-natured."
Cossaboon was processed and released by Vineland police. References« Back to Search Results
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