A New Jersey woman has filed a lawsuit against the Gloucester County Animal Shelter, claiming its staff euthanized her microchipped orange tabby, Moe, just hours after he went missing.
A New Jersey state law requires a wait window of at least seven days before an animal is put up for adoption, transferred to a fostering facility or euthanized.
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The Courier-Post reported on the federal lawsuit, which was filed Monday by the cat's owner, Stephanie Radlinger, and Stuart Goldman, a Monmouth County SPCA officer.
The lawsuit also accuses the Gloucester County shelter of “administering insufficient doses of euthanasia drugs to animals, failing to adequately monitor the animals receiving the drugs, and disposing of animals without confirming they were dead," the Courier-Post reports.
It notes a state inspection report last year that reportedly revealed that “312 cats, 71 dogs and other small animals were illegally killed between January and October 2015.” Moe’s death was included in the tally.
The county shelter did not comment on the case, citing a rule against commenting on pending litigation.
Read the full report at the Courier-Post.