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Trouble for 45-year-old Jodi Wozniak began on Sept. 16, when five German Shepherd/Belgian Malinois were found in the woods near N. Pitney Road in Galloway, Acting Atlantic County Prosecutor Cary Shill said.
Some of the dogs were tethered to a tree and others were inside kennels with no food or water, police said.
The dogs, owned by Wozniak, had been left alone for at least 15 hours, according to the owner of the property. The dogs were taken to Atlantic County Animal Shelter and put on a protective hold and, at that time, Wozniak refused to surrender the dogs.
Then, on Sept. 21, investigators got a call saying Wozniak had been arrested for trespassing onto a property, which she was ordered not to return to following a judicial eviction order signed on Sept. 13, authorities said.
That same day, Wozniak brought German Shepherd/Belgian Malinois puppies suffering from parvo into the Linwood Animal Hospital.
Three of those infected puppies were euthanized, one was returned to Wozniak and one remains at the animal hospital for treatment, the ACPO said.
Wozniak called Linwood Animal Hospital and used a stolen credit card to pay for some of the services rendered to the five puppies, police said.
Wozniak has surrendered the one surviving puppy, they said.
Meanwhile, Absecon police were working a case involving Wozniak, too. Wozniak brought a puppy into the Absecon Animal Hospital on Aug. 28, for treatment for an obstruction in its digestive track.
Wozniak was given an estimate for the treatment of the puppy, however, she never returned to the Absecon Animal Hospital to pay for the services rendered to the puppy and subsequently abandoned the animal, police said.
Wozniak is facing the following charges:
Absecon Police Department:
- 3RD degree Theft of services
Galloway Township Police Department:
- 4TH degree Cruelty to Animals- 5 COUNTS
Linwood Police:
- Fraudulent Use of a Credit Card
- Cruelty to Animals- 2 COUNTS
Atlantic County Assistant Prosecutor Lynn Heyer represents the state in this matter.
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