A Jefferson woman has been charged with animal cruelty in connection with the death of a 10-week old golden retriever puppy found April 30 inside a cage that had been submerged in an Oak Ridge pond.

A Jefferson woman has been charged with animal cruelty in connection with the death of a 10-week old golden retriever puppy found April 30 inside a cage that had been submerged in an Oak Ridge pond.

Tonya Fea, 47, was charged today with two counts of third-degree animal cruelty and defiant trespass, a petty disorderly persons offense, according to a joint statement by the Passaic County Prosecutor's Office and the West Milford Police Department.

If convicted, she faces up to 10 years in prison on the third-degree charges and 30 days in the county jail on defiant trespass.

West Milford Police indicated their investigation was "progressing quickly" on May 3 when they announced the person responsible for pulling the cage out of the pond prior to an animal rescue volunteer discovering it had come forward.

A necropsy was completed by the New Jersey Department of Agriculture's Animal Health Diagnostic Laboratory, and based on the findings, Fea was subsequently arrested. Passaic County Chief Assistant Prosecutor Andrew C. Palestini told the New Jersey Herald via email he was not able to release the puppy's cause of death nor any additional information as the investigation in ongoing..

The rescue volunteer, with the group The Last Resort Rescue, came upon the cage on April 30 at the edge of a pond on Bonter Road, located not far from the Hardyston Township border. While it was not immediately made clear why the volunteer was at the pond, several Facebook users indicated the area was a "popular drop-off spot" for unwanted pets.

According to the rescue group, when the volunteer discovered the black cage, the female puppy was deceased. The cage also contained a glass ice bucket -- with a handwritten price tag still attached -- that the rescue group believes may have been used to weigh down the cage. Absorbent pads stuck to the side of the puppy's head had blood on them.

Fea was charged in a summons complaint, meaning she was released pending a court appearance.

While authorities are not releasing the findings of the autopsy, according to a Facebook post by The Last Resort Animal Rescue, "the official autopsy report (confirmed) that drowning was the cause of death. Jenny was alive and was intentionally drowned."

The rescue group, who named the puppy Jenny, collected donations totalling $12,000 for a reward for information that led to the arrest of the persons involved.

The group said that investigators have put them in contact with two people who saw their Facebook post and called in a tip that led to Fea's arrest.

"Once (Fea's) convicted, we can give them their rightful reward money," the group posted.

Many people have already taken to Facebook to indicate they plan on attending Fea's first appearance at the Passaic County Courthouse on May 22.

The Passaic County Prosecutor's Office asks anyone with additional information about the incident to contact their tips line at 1-877-370-PCPO or tips@passaiccountynj.org or contact West Milford Detective Eric Darnsteadt at 973-728-2810.

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