By Michael O. Allen, Record Staff Writer | Thursday, September 27, 1990
The Record (New Jersey) | Four Star B | NEWS | Page B01
Bergen County Prosecutor John J. Fahy said Wednesday that he will investigate a state trooper’s killing of a stray dog at a turnpike rest stop.
But New Jersey State Police said the trooper took the right action.
“Fearing he [the dog] was going to run into the road and cause an accident, the dog was destroyed,” said Sgt. David Duleba of the state police barracks in Newark. “As far as we can determine, everything was justified.”
Tim Sullivan, chief of the Bergen County Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, had asked Fahy to look into the shooting.
State Police had called the county animal shelter after the dog, a rare blue Doberman, was spotted about 5 p.m. Tuesday at the New Jersey Turnpike rest stop in Ridgefield Park. After trying to catch it for 1 1/2 hours, warden Gary Kayser left to radio for help. Trooper Anthony DiPaula then shot the dog, authorities said.
“At that point, I started getting telephone calls [from witnesses],” Sullivan said. “I’ve never seen anything like this by a law-enforcement officer who is supposed to be a professional. They should have turned the scene over to the animal shelter and let them worry about catching the dog.”
The dog’s owner had not been located by Wednesday night. DiPaula could not be reached for comment.
ID: 17317498 | Copyright © 1990, The Record (New Jersey)
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