Man Who Threw 4 Dogs Over Fence To South Jersey Shelter Indicted

ATLANTIC CITY, NJ — An Atlantic City man was indicted on multiple animal cruelty charges after throwing four dogs over the fence at the Humane Society of Atlantic County, authorities said.

Jahlil McNeal, 23, was indicted by a grand jury on four counts of animal cruelty, witness tampering and theft of services on Nov. 13, the Atlantic County Prosecutor’s Office said.

Authorities allege that on two separate occasions, McNeal abandoned pit bull mixes by tossing them over the fence of the animal shelter. Both incidents happened during the middle of the night, when the Humane Society is closed, officials said.

The first occurred on April 8, 2024, when McNeal hoisted and threw three dogs over the fence, authorities said.

The second was on July 15, 2024, when McNeal threw a pit bull mix named Brenda over the fence, causing her to fall and roll onto her side, officials said.

When staff arrived, they found that Brenda had severe scarring from some sort of chemical or temperature burns on her back, authorities said. She was treated by Humane Society staff.

Both incidents were captured on surveillance camera and it was determined the same person was responsible for both. Video was shared to the shelter’s social media, and members of the public helped identify McNeal as the suspect, authorities said.

He was charged with multiple counts of animal cruelty for each dog abandoned. Due to Brenda’s permanent scarring, McNeal was also indicted for failure to provide the requisite veterinary care for her, resulting in bodily injury. He was additionally charged with theft of services and witness

tampering.