The hunt for the abuser of a starved New Jersey pit bull named Patrick has led to the arrest of Newark, NJ resident Kisha Curtis.
One day before St. Patrick’s Day, an emaciated red pit bull mix was discovered in a trash bag at the bottom of a Newark apartment building garbage chute. Patrick, as he was later named by the Humane Society, was brought to the Garden State Veterinary Specialists in Tinton Falls where specialists determined that he was found just hours from death.
Matthew Stanton, a spokesman for the New Jersey Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals told Fox News that Curtis, 28, was charged Friday with two counts of abandonment and two counts of failure to provide proper sustenance to an animal. Stanton also noted that Curtis, Patrick’s alleged owner, faces two criminal counts and two civil counts, with a maximum penalty of only six months in jail or a $1,000 fine and community service if she is convicted.
“It all depends on the judge,” he said. “She [Curtis] caused the animal to be in that condition. She indicated that she couldn’t take care of him anymore.”
Stanton said the NJSPCA is attempting to ascertain whether anyone else was involved in the abuse and disposal of the animal, and is urging anyone with information to call the NJSPCA tip line at 1-800-582-5979.
A recent video offers insight into Patrick’s recovery.
