April 10, 2015
The Barnyard Sanctuary/Facebook
The New Jersey SPCA discovered piles of dead animals at two New Jersey properties last week.
The New Jersey SPCA and local police in Independence Township, Warren County, are investigating two properties after discovering piles of dead animals, NJ.com reports.
Animal cruelty charges are already pending for a Warren County couple also charged with child abuse and neglect. According to Warren County prosecutor Richard Burke, police began investigating Chad J. Lloyd, 36, and Kimberly Brown, 23, last week after responding to a report of five pigs running loose in their neighborhood.
"When returning the pigs to the property, the animal control officer discovered numerous dead animals in various states of decomposition throughout the property," the SPCA said in a press release issued Wednesday.
The organization said it was immediately requested to step in.
Through their investigation, it was also determined that Lloyd kept animals at another property in Lafayette where a "large pile" of dead animals were found in various states of decomposition, according to the SPCA.
Along with the dead animals that were discovered, a large number of live animals in need of food, water and veterinary care were found on the property as well.
According to a Facebook post by the NJSPCA, the number of animals seized and signed over in the case now exceeds 200. The number of dead animals is still waiting to be confirmed, but there are at least 75 dead animals accounted for.
"Overwhelming number of animals in deplorable conditions in these two locations (Independence and Lafayette)," the post said. "Still working on capturing some of the remaining animals but removed so far were..... pigs, baby goats, calves, emu, pheasants, chickens, ducks, geese, partridge, one cockateil, chinchilla, hamsters, guinea pigs, baby chicks, turkeys, cows and a snake."
The majority of the animals are being cared for by the Barnyard Sanctuary in Columbia and Skylands Animal Sanctuary in Wantage. The NJSPCA is asking for donations.
Animal cruelty charges are pending, the SPCA said.
Read more from NJ.com.
