We are offering a reward for info on Curly the Gerbil and hope you’ll help us spread the word. This sweet little gerbil was found abandoned in a horrendously filthy cage on a rural road in Barnegat, NJ on Friday, July 9th. The temperatures were scorching, and thunder and heavy rain fell throughout the day, yet someone placed this little, helpless guy in his cage and left him on Old Main Shore Road, behind the Barnegat Motel, and drove away.
What goes through someone’s mind when they do such a thing? Did they expect Curly to escape and if that was even possible, what would become of him? A gerbil is not equipped to live outdoors in the wild. Surely he would have been snatched up by a predator quickly or died an otherwise painful death. He may be tiny, but his life still matters. We want justice for Curly, and we hope you’ll share his story.
AHS/Popcorn Park is offering a $500 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the person responsible for cruelly abandoning Curly. We know it’s a long-shot, but this little guy deserves it. He is a sweet little gerbil that is happy to be safe and sound now, and well cared for. He will eventually be available for adoption but in the meantime, if you have information, please contact us at 609-693-1900 or email: office@ahsppz.org. If you’d like to donate to the rescue efforts that we put forth for animals like Curly, please donate to our ResQ Fund. Thanks so much for your support!
CURLY UPDATE JULY 20TH:
We received some credible tips and unfortunately, the story just gets sadder…. Curly was not the only victim here. We received several tips with photographic evidence that there was a second cage abandoned along with Curly’s containing a hamster. Sadly, the cage had a large gap in it and the hamster escaped. Our ACO Maria Cymanski has set traps in the area to try to catch the hamster, but it is not very likely that he survived.
We’ve also received credible evidence that it was a teenager that committed this crime of animal cruelty and abandonment, and Officer Cymanski is investigating the evidence and hopes to locate the perpetrator. In the meantime, Curly is living the good life! He’s in a beautiful, clean cage and comes out frequently throughout the day to spend time running around a dog bed while munching on Cheerios. He’s just the sweetest little guy and we’re so happy that he’s alive and well, and that so many people care enough to help us seek justice for Curly. He’ll be going off to a great new home soon!
