A New Jersey couple has pleaded guilty in an animal abuse case after the husband initially claimed he found a badly neglected dog in a trash bag on the side of the road.
Keith Morgan, 56, pleaded guilty to animal cruelty and filing a false report on Monday. His 43-year-old wife, Shauna, pleaded guilty to two counts of animal cruelty.
The Brick Township residents could each face up to six months in jail.
The Asbury Park Press reports the dog spent approximately four weeks at a veterinary hospital recovering from injuries, including dehydration.
The dog is in foster care.
The paper reports that originally Morgan was called a hero for rescuing the 15-year-old Cocker Spaniel known as Sammy but that after about 24 hours officials at the Associated Humane Society in Tinton Falls discovered Sammy was registered to someone in the Morgan home.
No sentencing date is set at this point.
