A New Jersey man raised thousands of dollars for vet bills by saying an ATV ran over his dog — when he was actually the one abusing the pup so severely it later died, police said Tuesday.
Medford Police pulled over Reid M. Herjo, 24, for speeding in January, while he was taking then-14-week-old German shepherd Atlas to the vet, they said.
Herjo told officers the poor dog had been run over by an all-terrain vehicle.
Days later, cops got a tip telling them that wasn’t actually how the pup was injured, they said.
In the six weeks Herjo owned Atlas he’d allegedly beaten the dog so badly it had numerous fractures that required surgery and caused hemorrhaging, officers said.
Herjo told them the pup was hurt twice, falling down stairs and down a hill.
Police said Herjo set up a GoFundMe page asking for donations for the puppy’s veterinary care, lying and saying he’d been hurt in a hit-and-run.
Almost 700 people donated $14,065 over 28 days.
The dog died on Feb. 3 “under suspicious circumstances” after being hurt again, cops said.
A spokesperson for the crowdfunding site told the Courier Post Herjo had misused the platform and that anyone who donated to the sham fundraiser would be reimbursed.
“There are unfortunate and rare instances where people create campaigns with the intention to take advantage of others’ generosity,” the spokesperson said in a statement. “In the small handful of cases where misuse occurs, GoFundMe takes action to resolve the issue.”
Herjo was charged with third-degree animal cruelty and theft by deception on March 28. A Burlington Superior Court hearing is pending.