WEST MILFORD — News that a 10-month-old puppy was drowned in a cage moved the public to increase an award seeking information leading to an arrest.

A volunteer with Last Resort Rescue found the female golden retriever Monday in a submerged cage in Jennings Pond.

Passaic County prosecutors are investigating.

Last Resort Director Nancy Warner said the initial $500 reward grew to $7,000 by Thursday morning.The group added a link on their Facebook page after receiving calls from people who wanted to increase the reward money.

"People are inspired to donate because they're angry and they want justice the same as we do," Warner said.

Warner said she and the group's volunteers see a lot of awful things. But in her 20 years doing rescues, Warner thought she was at a point where nothing would surprise her.

"This is just unfathomable. I just can't imagine what would possess a person to do something like this," Warner said.

The dog was found within a metal wire training crate along with a crystal vase that was wrapped in a plastic bag.

The volunteers at the Last Resort named the puppy Jenny.

"Something about her when we saw her just pulled out of the water in that cage, she had such a soft face and the name Jenny came to us and then I said we're going to find some justice for Jenny and that slogan just took off," Warner said.

The Passaic County Prosecutor's Office asks anyone with information about the incident to call them at 1-877-370-PCPO or West Milford police at 973-728-2801.

Contact reporter Dan Alexander at Dan.Alexander@townsquaremedia.com or via Twitter @DanAlexanderNJ

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