Case Of Caged Puppy Found In Pond Goes To Grand Jury

The case of a puppy that was found submerged in a Passaic County pond last month has been referred to a grand jury, authorities announced.

The woman charged in the case, Tonya Fea, waived her appearance at Central Judicial Processing Court and the matter was referred to a grand jury, Passaic County Prosecutor Camelia Valdes said in a news release.

Fea, 47, of Jefferson was charged with two counts of third-degree animal cruelty and defiant trespass following an investigation by local and Passaic County officials.

The puppy was found in a submerged cage in a pond off of Bonter Road in West Milford Wednesday, Valdes previously said. The puppy was taken to the New Jersey Department of Agriculture's Animal Health Diagnostic Laboratory and a necropsy was performed.

A complaint summons said the dog asphyxiated due to drowning. Fea faces possible jail time if found guilty of the charges filed against her.

Related: Dog Found In Submerged Cage In Passaic County Pond: Police

Nancy Warner, who operates Last Resort Rescue in West Milford, is fighting for justice for the dog, which was named Jenny.

"We would love to see the maximum punishment be applied," said Warner. "We want to make sure she gets the maximum so that people out there abusing animals might think twice about doing things like this."

Email: daniel.hubbard@patch.com