The owner of a local petting zoo, Sugar Sweet Farms in Andover Township, has been indicted by a grand jury on animal cruelty charges. According to the New Jersey Herald, Dennis Sugar, of Branchville, was indicted on two counts of third-degree cruelty to animals resulting in serious bodily injury or death and two counts of fourth-degree cruelty to animals resulting in bodily injury.
The 47-year-old is also facing two disorderly offenses for animal cruelty.
Detectives reportedly went to Sugar's Hampton farm in August and found 30 dead pigs and 14 malnourished, live pigs that only had access to dirty water and no food. Some of the pigs were also suffering from mange. Additionally, a vet found that Sugar's live goats had parasites and two of them had fractured legs.
If convicted on the charges against him, Sugar faces up to 13 years in state prison.
Read the New Jersey Herald story here.
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