A New Jersey man has been indicted on animal cruelty charges after his alleged role in throwing several dogs over the fence at the Humane Society of Atlantic County.
According to prosecutors, an Atlantic County Grand Jury returned a multiple-count indictment charging Jahlil McNeal, 23, from Atlantic City, with several counts of animal cruelty, witness tampering, and theft of services.
Prosecutors said on two occasions, it is alleged that McNeal abandoned the dogs at the Humane Society located next to Route 30. Both incidents occurred during the middle of the night when the shelter was closed.
The first incident occurred on April 8, 2024, according to prosecutors. McNeal had hoisted and thrown three dogs over the fence.
Get top local stories in Philly delivered to you every morning. Sign up for NBC Philadelphia's News Headlines newsletter.
Then prosecutors said the second incident happened on July 15, 2024, when McNeal threw his pit bull mix -- whose name is Brenda -- over the fence, causing her to fall and roll onto her side.
When employees of the Human Society arrived, they found Brenda with severe scarring from some form of chemical or temperature burns on large sections of her back, according to prosecutors. She was then evaluated and treated.
Both incidents were captured on security cameras, and it was determined that McNeal was responsible for throwing all the dogs.
McNeal was subsequently charged with multiple counts of animal cruelty for each of the four dogs he abandoned, prosecutors said. Due to the permanent scarring on Brenda’s back, McNeal was indicted for failure to provide the requisite veterinary care for her, resulting in bodily injury. He was additionally charged with theft of services and witness tampering.
Prosecutors said anyone with information regarding serious crimes should contact the Atlantic County Prosecutor’s Office at 609-909-7800.
Sign up for our Breaking newsletter to get the most urgent news stories in your inbox.
