Community rallies to rescue abandoned dogs

On March 16, dozens of small terrier- and Chihuahua-type dogs were dumped at four sites on a raw, rainy evening in Sussex County, N.J.

The alarm was first sounded in Stillwater, where dog crates were found tossed, open and empty, into the woods near the Duck Pond trailhead at Swartswood State Park.

Within hours, two more dumpsites were discovered near Meadows Road in Lafayette and Clark Road in Wantage.

Another Stillwater dumpsite was subsequently located further down County Route 619 near Swartswood Lake.

The sudden and staggering cruelty quickly drew people together to find and bring the dogs to safety.

In Stillwater, Committeewoman and Office of Emergency Management Coordinator Lisa Chammings sprang into action with the assistance of animal control, nearby residents and the Stillwater Township Fire Department. Firefighters scoured the forest late into the night with infrared thermal imaging equipment, seeking out the heat signatures of dogs in the underbrush.

Hound Hunters of New Jersey, Inc., a non-profit organization led by Jeanette Campbell and dedicated to recovering lost dogs, joined the search in Stillwater.

In Wantage and Lafayette, residents and animal control officers were able to round up all the abandoned canines by March 27, including dogs that had gotten into the quarry in Lafayette.

The last dog believed to be loose was captured in Stillwater on March 29, one day shy of two weeks after being released. No other sightings have been reported in the areas surrounding the four dumpsites since.

Through these community efforts, more than 40 dogs were located and recovered alive. Three dogs were confirmed dead upon discovery; it remains possible that others may have died and have not been found. A mother and her puppies also died despite efforts by rescuers and veterinarians.

The remaining dogs, ranging in age from puppies to seniors, are receiving care through multiple municipal shelters and rescue groups.

“The range of rescuers during this unprecedented dump was amazing,” Chammings said. “Residents were fantastic in reporting sightings, allowing Hound Hunters to utilize traps and cameras. A farmer halted work in the area of the sightings so we could trap the last dog. A group desperately searched for hours to track an exhausted girl, now named Nelli, who’ll be adopted by one of her finders. There was a tiny Chihuahua found by a family walking their dog ten days after being dumped.

“People showed heart for these dogs,” Chammings added. “The atrocity of the hideous dumping of these dogs has been mostly nullified with love.”

Among the dogs found in Stillwater were a pair dubbed Tiny Tim and Hero. After being found in the road, Hero led Campbell and Chammings to a disabled older Chihuahua named Tiny Tim, who was stuck at the water’s edge at Swartswood Lake, unable to free himself from behind a dock.

Tiny Tim is now under the care of 11^th Hour Rescue, where he is receiving medical treatment for a sinus cavity infection caused by rotten teeth. Once he has sufficiently recovered and his bloodwork is cleared, Tiny Tim will require dental surgery to alleviate his health issues.

Warren County trio facing charges

The Sussex County Sheriff’s office issued a press release on Friday, March 20, announcing that the New Jersey State Police had arrested three people from Phillipsburg, N.J. in conjunction with the abandonment. Joshua Ciemniecki, 19; Robert Ciemniecki, 74; and Kaila McNeill, 30, will all face charges of animal cruelty in Sussex County.

The Phillipsburg Police Department released a statement that same day indicating that the three people had been subject to an ongoing hoarding investigation, which authorities believe may have triggered the dumping incidents.

According to that statement, the arrests also allowed officers to successfully remove 20 more dogs from the suspects’ home. Those dogs were placed in the care of Common Sense for Animals.

Joshua Ciemniecki and McNeill were charged with two counts of third-degree and three counts of fourth-degree animal cruelty in connection with the Sussex County crimes. Both were held in the Morris County Jail pending a detention hearing, according to state police.

Robert Ciemniecki was charged with one count of animal cruelty. He was released pending a court date.

Joshua Ciemniecki will appear in Sussex County Superior Court on April 20 for a preliminary hearing before the Judge Janine M. Allen. Animal cruelty convictions in New Jersey carry fines up to $1,000 for the first offense and up to $2,000 for each additional conviction, as well as the potential for up to six months of imprisonment.

Police said the three defendants have surrendered ownership of all dogs involved in the dumping and those found at their home, which, via New Jersey law, allows the rescue groups and municipal shelters to take over the care, vetting and eventual adoption of the dogs into new homes.

‘Happy tails’ on the horizon

Thirteen of the dogs, mostly seniors, are currently under the care of foster-based rescue Cold Nose Warm Heart, where Director Alissa McLaughlin said the priority is assessing the veterinary needs of each animal. She expects the vet bills to climb past the $10,000 mark, for which they would appreciate the support of the public, but also said that a “happy tails” story is on the horizon for a pair of pups from the Lafayette dumpsite.

“A woman rounded up several of the dogs after they were dumped, and she’ll be adopting two of them once they are ready to go,” McLaughlin said.

Wantage Township Animal Control Officer Melanie Monastra was assisting on the scene in Stillwater when the call came through about the dumpsite in her own town. Several of the dogs dumped in Wantage found their way to the Wantage Township Animal Shelter, where they received urgent care and veterinary treatment. While three dogs remain at the shelter, some have already been adopted.

Dogs will continue to become available for adoption from the organizations housing them once they have completed veterinary treatments and been deemed socially and behaviorally ready to find their permanent homes.

“This incident is a glimpse into how cruel people can be,” Monastra said. “But at the end of the day, they are safe and loved. That’s why we’re here, to make a difference.”