The death of a dog at a New Jersey pet grooming salon has led to the arrest of the business owner on drug charges, authorities said.
On July 12, officers responded to K-9 Kingdom in Woodbury Heights, NJ, on a report of the death of a dog, according to a press release shared by the Woodbury City Police Department on July 16.
The dog’s owner told police he had dropped off his dog at the grooming salon earlier in the day and said the owner of the business, Trevor Hunt, had contacted him and said the dog had died, according to in the release.
Ashley Jenkins told NJ Advance Media that she and her boyfriend dropped off her family’s 3-year-old border collie-Australian shepherd mix named Harley for a routine business repair appointment and were shocked by the call.
provided by Ashley Jenkins
According to an affidavit of probable cause obtained by NJ Advance Media, police found the dog dead on a table at the pet grooming salon. Authorities said in the report that when they tried to talk to Hunt, he became uncooperative.
Hunt allegedly “immediately became tense and attempted to remove evidence from his phone,” police claimed in the affidavit, adding that they “guided the defendant to the ground, where he resisted arrest,” the report said. of the outlet.
Once a search warrant was served for the business, investigators found “more than 60 small plastic bags” of suspected heroin, according to the affidavit, which also cited the Courier-Post. Some of the baggies reportedly read, “Alien Rock,” “House Party III” and “El Loco,” the affidavit said.
Hunt now faces charges of tampering with evidence, resisting arrest, possession of a controlled dangerous substance and possession of a controlled dangerous substance with intent to distribute, according to a police department statement. It is unclear whether he entered a plea or retained an attorney to speak on his behalf.
Jenkins told ABC7 NY that Harley had no underlying health conditions and the dog’s cause of death is still under investigation.
“He loved people,” Jenkins said of Harley, per ABC7 NY. “He loves to play. He likes to run. We are very close to him. He goes with us everywhere.”
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According to police, Hunt is being held in the Salem County Jail pending a detention hearing. They added that the investigation is still ongoing.
“We’re just trying to adjust to Harley not being here anymore and hope she gets justice,” Jenkins said in a statement shared with PEOPLE.
Anyone with information is asked to contact Woodbury City Police Det. Nicholas Cacciola at [email protected] or 856-845-0065, ext. 142.
