Man Sought In Attempted Dog Drowning Still At Large

HIGHLANDS, NJ — The Long Branch man sought in connection with a dog left to drown in a cage last week in Highlands has still not been found and remains on the loose, authorities said Monday afternoon.

A warrant was issued late Friday afternoon for Aaron D. Davis, 36, of Long Branch in connection with the case of "River," the dog who was left on the banks of the Shrewsbury River in a cage in Highlands.

There is no update as of Monday afternoon, Aug. 6, a spokesman for the Monmouth County prosecutor told Patch.

Police are not technically calling Davis a suspect in the case, but a warrant has been issued for his arrest "in connection" with the heinous crime.

In what the Monmouth County prosecutor is calling a case of animal abuse, someone left the pit bull trapped in a cage on a small rocky jetty to drown as the tide rose in the Shrewsbury River last Monday, July 30. He was found by a woman passing by walking her dog, who pulled him out of the cage. When she found him, the water was already up to his paws and the puppy was apparently shivering.

"He was shivering and the water was rising," the woman, Jennifer Vaz, 32, of Highlands Patch last week. "It would have been a slow death."

There will also be a rally Tuesday night, Aug. 7 at Veterans Memorial Park in Highlands for "River's Law," as local residents push for harsher penalties for people convicted of animal abuse in New Jersey. The pit bull puppy is in good health and is being fostered by Vaz. Supporters will be meeting from 5-6 p.m. Tuesday night at Veterans Memorial Park.

Past Patch reporting:Highlands Woman Recalls Finding Puppy Left In Cage To Die

Dog In A Cage Trapped On Beach As Tide Rose In Highlands

Warrant Issued In Connection With Dog Left In Cage To Drown

Aug. 7 Rally In Highlands, NJ For Dog Left In Cage To Drown