No jail for Toms River, NJ woman who let 3 dogs die

In an awful case of animal cruelty, an Ocean County woman has pled guilty to charges she left three dogs in an abandoned house in Lacey Township to die.

Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer says that Allissa DeStefano, 30, of Toms River, pleaded guilty Friday to animal cruelty charges.

She'll be sentenced in September, when prosecutors will request a year in county jail as a condition of probation.

It was back on Nov. 11, 2019, that the Lacey Police Department was called to an address for a report that dogs had been abandoned at the home.

Ocean County Jail booking photo of Allissa DeStefano

"Upon arrival, the officers determined that the house was indeed abandoned, and the remains of three dogs were discovered," Billhimer said.

An investigation found that DeStefano was responsible for leaving the dogs behind in the house, and she was responsible for their death. She was arrested at the time by Lacey Township Police, processed and released.

Her sentencing is scheduled for September 24, 2021.

Billhimer thanked "the diligent efforts of Assistant Prosecutor Kimberly Carr who is handling the case on behalf of the State, as well as the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office Animal Cruelty Squad and Lacey Township Police Department, for their collaborative efforts relative to the investigation of this matter ultimately resulting in DeStefano’s guilty plea."

LOOK: Here Are 30 Foods That Are Poisonous to Dogs

To prepare yourself for a potential incident, always keep your vet's phone number handy, along with an after-hours clinic you can call in an emergency. The ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center also has a hotline you can call at (888) 426-4435 for advice.

Even with all of these resources, however, the best cure for food poisoning is preventing it in the first place. To give you an idea of what human foods can be dangerous, Stacker has put together a slideshow of 30 common foods to avoid. Take a look to see if there are any that surprise you.