Prosecutor: Couple Charged with Animal Cruelty in Connection with Death of Four Puppies

A couple is facing charges of animal cruelty in connection with the death of German shepherd puppies in their care died due to alleged neglect, Monmouth County Prosecutor Christopher J. Gramiccioni announced on Tuesday.

Daniel McDonald, 25, and Tricia Jaccoma, 24, are charged with four counts of third-degree animal cruelty four puppies were found dead on a property in Howell where they were temporarily living.

The remains of two of the dead puppies were found in a fire pit on the property in Howell on Monday. The Howell Township Police Department and Monmouth County Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Law Enforcement Division, conducted an investigation which led to the discovery of the remains of two more dead puppies that had been buried on the property.

The joint investigation revealed the puppies were stolen from a farm in Somerset County on or about May 12, when the puppies were approximately three weeks old.

Investigators learned McDonald and Jaccoma were staying at the Somerset County farm prior to the time the puppies went missing and were in possession of the puppies while residing in a camper on the property in Howell.

Investigators also learned the puppies were ill, in distress, and were struggling to breathe prior to their deaths, and that the pair allegedly did not get the puppies medical attention because of the costs associated with the care.

The investigation further revealed McDonald disposed of the bodies of the deceased puppies by burying two of them and tossing the other two into the fire pit on or about May 16.

A necropsy performed on the two buried puppies revealed the puppies suffered from parasites and also were severely emaciated and malnourished with “no indications of recent nutritional ingestion.”

In addition to the animal cruelty charges for failing to provide the puppies with the necessary care, both McDonald and Jaccoma were also charged with multiple counts of third-degree receiving stolen property for being in possession of the stolen puppies in Monmouth County. McDonald was also charged with four counts of hindering apprehension of oneself and disorderly persons offenses for disposing of the deceased puppies bodies.

The investigation further revealed McDonald was in possession of a generator reported stolen out of South Brunswick, and a John Deere front end loader reported stolen out of Monroe. McDonald was charged with additional counts of third-degree and second-degree receiving stolen property, respectively, for being in possession of these stolen items.

McDonald was ordered detained at the Monmouth County Correctional Institution by Monmouth County Superior Court Judge Paul X. Escandon on June 10.

Jaccoma is currently a fugitive.

If you have any information about her whereabouts, please contact Humane Law Enforcement Officer Michael Magliozzo of the Monmouth County Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals at 732 995-0329, or Patrolwoman Heather Scherbinski of the Howell Township Police Department at 732-938-4111.

If convicted of the second-degree charge, McDonald faces a sentence of five to ten years in a New Jersey state prison.

If convicted of any of the third-degree charges, they each face a sentence of three to five years in in a New Jersey state prison on each count.

Support R-FH Retro with the donation of some coffee to keep it going strong! Click here and choose how many cups you’d like to buy. Thank you!