In the past three months, 93 dead animals have turned up in North Bergen. That's about three times what is normally found. Animal Control officers are investigating whether someone is dumping the dead animals to avoid having to pay to dispose of them somewhere else.
And it's not just dead animals. Two dogs were also abandoned last week in North Bergen. George Parisek found them tied to a fence.
"I know it's a hard time, no money," he said. "But don't do this."
Other animals, like a 5-month-old kitten, are being left behind because their owners simply cannot afford to keep them.
North Bergen has apparently become a dumping ground both for unwanted pets, like a long-hair Chihuahua, and dead animals too.
"Opossums, raccoons, squirrels, skunks and a lot of them are cats and dogs," said Denton Infield, of the Associated Humane Societies.
The late-night dead animal drops on curbs and in gutters along Paterson Plank Road and Union Turnpike have put a strain on the Associated Humane Societies shelter in Newark. The shelter relies on private donations, which are down because of the weak economy.
"Strain with the animals we need to keep, also with the cremation, higher utility bills," Infield said.
Infield says the animals appear to have died of natural causes, and some have been dead for days, leading him to wonder if another town's Animal Control officers are dumping their work, and the expense, to him and his staff.
In one day in February, 12 dead animals were found in North Bergen, some in the same locations, just hours apart. An investigation is under way.
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WEB PRODUCED BY: Bill King
NEW YORK AND TRI-STATE AREA NEWS
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