Edgewater man was charged on 14 counts of animal cruelty by the NJSPCA.
File photo of a deer. (Rob Swanson | Associated Press)BLOOMFIELD -- A New Jersey animal control officer has been charged with animal cruelty after allegedly slashing the throat of a baby deer, killing it.
According to a release from NJSPCA Captain Rick Yocum, the agency charged Vincent Ascolese, 48, of Edgewater, with 14 counts of animal cruelty. Ascolese serves as the director and supervising animal control officer at the North Jersey Humane Society Shelter in Bloomfield, the NJSPCA said.
Ascolese is accused of killing an injured fawn in June of this year via exsanguination, or blood draining, which is not an approved method of animal euthanasia in New Jersey, Yocum said in the release. Ascolese allegedly cut the fawn's throat with a knife, he said. The director is also charged with "needlessly killing a living animal" and "failure to provide necessary care," he said.
He is also facing cruelty charges for allegedly failing to provide proper shelter and food, and necessary care, to animals at the Humane Society, the release said.
Acting Bloomfield township administrator Sam DeMaio said Friday that the town does not run its own shelter, but contracts animal control services with Ascolese's agency.
Town officials will be watching the outcome of the accusations, DeMaio said.
"We will not tolerate animal cruelty," he said. If Ascolese is convicted of the accusations, "we will move immediately to terminate (Bloomfield's) contract" with the North Jersey Humane Society Shelter, he said.
Ascolese also serves as the director of the Bergen County Protection and Rescue Shelter in Cliffside Park, officials said. Both agencies he heads service multiple areas in Bergen and Essex Counties, they said.
The shelter acknowledged, but did not immediately respond to, a request for comment Friday afternoon.
An investigation into the accusations is ongoing, the NJSPCA said. Ascolese is set to face the charges in Bloomfield Municipal Court on Oct. 14.
Jessica Mazzola may be reached at jmazzola@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @JessMazzola. Find NJ.com on Facebook.
