An Atlantic City woman who was found to have left her dog in an extreme state of malnourishment and dehydration was found guilty of animal cruelty, the Atlantic County Prosecutor’s Office said Thursday.
Monique Tolbert, 35, is scheduled to be sentenced in September.
On July 12, 2023, Tolbert called police to surrender her dog. When officers arrived, they found the dog wandering the hallway of the apartment building where she lived.
The dog, named Handsome, was emaciated and dehydrated, arriving officers observed. He wasn’t wearing a collar, but police learned he belonged to Tolbert, who lived on the same floor where he was found.
Police took Handsome to the Humane Society of Atlantic County to be assessed and treated. He was found to be severely malnourished, weighing less than half of a normal, healthy weight, the Prosecutor’s Office said. Handsome also was dehydrated and suffering from urine scalding, and had multiple pressure point sores on different areas of his body.