Officials: At Least 10 German Shepherds Found After Being Abandoned In New Jersey
OAKLAND, N.J. (CBSNewYork) -- Someone has been dumping dogs all over northern New Jersey.
Nearly a dozen German shepherds have ended up in shelters over the last week, after they were abandoned in different locations in Bergen and Passaic counties.
As CBS2's Nick Caloway reported Sunday, all the dogs may have been ditched by the same person.
After being abandoned and alone in the wild for several days, a German shepherd, now named Shelby, was caught and rescued last week.
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The 6-year-old dog was seen by neighbors in Closter, so Nicole Asher with Buddha Dog Rescue & Recovery was called in to catch her.
"She was very, very skittish. You could tell she wanted to be caught. But, you know, she was just very, very frightened," Asher said.
Later, Asher was talking with others in the animal rescue community when they realized Shelby wasn't the only German shepherd that was dumped.
"We had seen more posts that there's four or five in Wayne, there's two more in Teterboro, and two were found off the Palisades Parkway, and, we're like, you know, alarm bells are going off in our heads," Asher said.
Who is dumping terrified German Shepherds throughout Northern North Jersey? In the past week, at least 8 German...
Posted by Ramapo-Bergen Animal Refuge on Friday, May 28, 2021
So far, at least 10 German shepherds have been found, and it appears they all came from the same place.
"The best we can tell is that somebody was breeding them. We typically would say it's a backyard breeder, so somebody who clearly is not doing it responsibly," said Megan Brinster of Ramapo-Bergen Animal Refuge.
Shelby and another one were taken to the Ramapo-Bergen in Oakland. Brinster is executive director of the refuge.
"They all show signs of neglect: living without basic medical care, living in unsanitary conditions," Brinster said.
It is believed the person or persons responsible dumped the dogs in different locations all over North Jersey so no one would put two and two together.
But thanks to a close-knit rescue community and social media, the word is out and the police have been notified.
"I think with all of us putting our heads together, our heads and our hearts together, we can get to the bottom of this mystery and really bring whoever is responsible for this to justice," Asher said.
Caloway has learned there could still be two or three abandoned dogs that have not been rescued yet. Anyone who spots them should contact their local animal control or animal shelter.
The shelter is now looking for someone with experience to adopt the dogs. Click here for more information or email adoptlove@rbari.org.
Anyone with information about the dogs is asked to call the Bergen County SPCA Hotline at (201) 573-8900.
CBS2's Nick Caloway contributed to this report