MONTCLAIR, NJ - Charges have been filed against a 22-year-old Montclair man by the New Jersey Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (NJSPCA) Humane Police on Tuesday after a video surfaced of the man tossing a dog during a road rage incident.

Humane Police filed animal cruelty charges against Marc Dione, of Upper Montclair, authorities announced. He was charged with two counts of animal cruelty for torture and torment of a living creature - one fourth degree indictable charge and one civil charge on behalf of a 12-year-old miniature pinscher named Daphne.

"Due to the indictable charge, the charges were filed in Essex County Superior Court," said Frank Rizzo, Chief of Law Enforcement with the NJSPCA Humane Police.

Sign Up for Montclair Newsletter Our newsletter delivers the local news that you can trust. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. You have successfully signed up for the TAPinto Montclair Newsletter.

In a written statement, Rizzo announced, "The charges were filed following an investigation of a video posted on multiple websites showing a road rage incident between motorists on Bloomfield Avenue in Montclair, New Jersey."

During a confrontation with another driver, Dione, who works as a Lyft driver, is shown reaching into the victim’s vehicle, grabbing the 12-year-old miniature pinscher from the back seat and aggressively tossing the dog nearly 10ft. out of the vehicle onto the sidewalk. The entire incident was caught on video by a third party driver, who can be heard reacting to the entire ordeal.

Lyft officials have announced that they have parted ways with Dione immediately following the video surfacing.

The dog can be seen running back into the road and towards the vehicle. Although it was unclear from the video whether the dog survived the incident, Montclair Animal Cruelty Officer Michele Shiber stated that Daphne made it back to her owner and survived without any significant visible injuries.

Rizzo added, "Despite some bruises and stress resulting from this traumatic event, Daphne is recovering well."





The NJSPCA Humane Police worked alongside the Montclair Police Department and Shiber on this case. Neither driver was charged for their role in the fight that preceded, according to Montclair Police Officials.

Watch Video of the Incident Below:

Credits: Streamable.com