Owner of loose dog charged with animal cruelty after dog killed in Warren County crash

BLAIRSTOWN TOWNSHIP, NJ (Warren County) – The owner of a loose dog has been charged with animal cruelty after the dog was struck and killed in a crash in a crash, according to Blairstown Township police.

On January 27, at around 7:00 p.m., officers responded to a motor vehicle crash involving a dog in Blairstown Township, police said.

Upon arrival, they found one dog severely injured and another uninjured. Unfortunately, the injured dog succumbed to its injuries at the scene, police said.

Officers recognized the dogs, noting they had allegedly been reported loose and wandering in the roadway multiple times in the past. Blairstown’s Animal Control Officer (ACO), Robert Lagonera, was notified and responded to the scene. The uninjured dog was transported to an animal hospital, police said.

Due to the dogs’ extensive history of being loose and their owner, David Black, 46, of Hardwick Township, Blairstown’s Animal Control Officer (ACO) contacted the New Jersey State Police (NJSP) for further investigation. Black was subsequently charged by NJSP with third-degree animal cruelty, police said.

Black has been cited by both Blairstown’s and Newton’s ACOs (contracted by Hardwick Township) with over 20 counts of dogs at large in recent months. Despite numerous attempts by the ACOs to work with Black and convince him to properly contain his dogs, the efforts were unsuccessful. The officers spent countless hours trying to catch the loose dogs, but often could not, as the dogs refused to allow them near, police said.

The surviving dog will be fostered until the case is heard in court, police said.