WEST MILFORD, N.J. (AP) – A woman who drowned a 10-week-old puppy that was found submerged and in a weighted cage in a northern New Jersey pond two years ago has been sentenced to six months in jail.
Tonya Fea, 49, of Boonton, must also serve five years of probation under the sentence imposed on Tuesday, according to the Passaic County Prosecutor's Office.
She had pleaded guilty in August to animal cruelty and has been barred from owning dogs.
Fea admitted submerging the female golden retriever puppy in April 2019 at Greenwood Pond in West Milford.
Authorities have said Fea initially claimed the puppy was dead before she submerged it, but eventually admitted it died due to her actions.
According to The Daily Record, she said she made the decision instead of taking the ill dog to a veterinary clinic and having to pay expensive medical bills.