Criminal and civil animal abuse charges were filed on Nov 2 against the owners of a small farm in Salem County where authorities said they found starving horses and a dead piglet earlier this week.
"It's not even a farm, really. It's more like a dirt lot," Sgt. Jane Donoghue of the New Jersey Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals said, referring to the Burlington Road property in Elmer Borough.
After receiving a telephone tip about downed animals, SPCA agents arrived to find two horses lying on the ground, unable to stand and suffering from starvation, Donoghue said. They also found a third horse suffering from neglect and a dead piglet, she said.
"They were starving and had not been given veterinary care," she said. Five other horses were found on the property, but they were in better condition, Donoghue said.
One of the prone horses, a 13-year-old pinto, had to be euthanized, while another, a 2-year-old pinto, was taken to a facility in Pennsylvania for treatment. That horse is recovering and is expected to survive.
The third sick horse, a female yearling, was left on the property, but the SPCA is trying to arrange relocating the animal.
"Our goal is to have all the animals placed in a safer environment and to make sure this doesn't happen again," said Donoghue, adding that her agency still is investigating who owns the animals.
William Pompper Jr., 39, who owns the property, and his girlfriend, Erin Knight, 29, described themselves to authorities as horse breeders and borders, she said. Each was charged with four criminal counts of failing to provide veterinary care to the four animals and four counts of failing to provide proper food. Each criminal charge carries a penalty of up to six months in jail, 30 days performing community service and $1,000 in fines.
The two also were issued civil summonses containing 16 additional charges of abuse and neglect, each of which carries fines ranging from $1,000 to $5,000.
Pompper, wanted on a family court warrant, was being held at the Salem County Jail.
The case is scheduled for a Nov. 15 municipal court hearing. Case Updates| Posted on Dec 21, 2005 - 3:08PM | Spider Man was released from New Bolton on December 3, 2005, and has settled nicely into his foster home. He gained over 200 lbs while at New Bolton. His re-feeding program continues to go well. His total bill at New Bolton was $7133.94. Spider Man still has some health issues which a local vet is monitoring.
Pommper's trial is scheduled for sometime in February 2006. |
| Posted on Dec 19, 2005 - 6:51PM | The New Jersey Department of Agriculture is investigating a case of alleged animal abuse in Upper Pittsgrove to determine if the poor health of three horses was caused by an illness rather than abuse, a spokeswoman for the department said Friday.
Lynne Richmond, spokeswoman for the Department of Agriculture, said the department is investigating the case independent of the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA), which charged two Upper Pittsgrove residents with animal abuse Nov. 2, 2005.
William Pompper Jr., 39, and Erin Knight, 29, were charged with 32 counts of civil and criminal offenses by the SPCA after agents found what they believed to be two starving horses, a neglected horse and dead piglet on the property in late October, SPCA officials said. | | Source: Today's Sunbeam - December 17, 2005 |
| Posted on Dec 16, 2005 - 12:41PM | | William Pompper Jr., 39, and Erin Knight, 29, of Upper Pittsgrove Township, were charged with numerous criminal and civil animal abuse offenses in early November 2005. The two were scheduled to go to trial December 14, 2005, but the case was postponed after Pompper failed to appear and Knight asked for more time in the matter. | | Source: Today's Sunbeam - December 15, 2005 |
| Posted on Nov 28, 2005 - 4:22PM | This case has been rescheduled for 12-14-05 at 9:00 am. The young horse is still at New Bolton Equine Hospital. His vet bill as of 11-23-05 is $5324.25. If you are able to send funds to assist with his medical care, checks can be made payable to the New Jersey SPCA marked "Spider Man fund" and sent to:
New Jersey SPCA
Attn: "Spider Man fund"
1119 Livingston Ave,
New Brunswick, NJ 08091
The young horse is doing better and is now tolerating his re-feeding program well. New Bolton is hoping to release him into foster care at the end of the week. | | Source: NJSPCA - Nov 28, 2005 |
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