Middletown Man Charged with Animal Cruelty by SPCA

A Belford man allegedly threw a Holmdel woman’s puppy over a bridge on the Henry Hudson trail on Sunday morning.

He then drove to her home in the Orchards townhouse development, off Laurel Avenue, Holmdel, and got involved in a minor fight with the woman’s friend, according to police.

William Deppisch, 23, of 323 Campbell Ave., Belford, was arrested and charged by Holmdel Police with disorderly conduct and harassment. Deppisch was also issued three summonses for animal cruelty by Monmouth County SPCA Chief of Police Victor “Buddy” Amato.

Deppisch was transported to the Monmouth County Correctional Institution, where he was held until a $2,500 bail was posted and he was released, according to Holmdel Police Sgt. Vincent Imperato.

The other man allegedly involved in the fight, Russell Dunn, 23, of 91 Highland Ave. in Leonardo, was also arrested and charged with disorderly conduct, both misdemeanors.

Police were alerted to the pushing-and-shoving fight, at Bristel Road and Alpine Drive in the Holmdel Orchards townhouse development, by a resident’s phone call around 11:30 a.m., said Imperato. When officers arrived, they learned about 4½-month-old dog, Jack.

Holmdel Sgt. Michael Pigott located the puppy under a roughly 20-foot-high trestle bridge in a creek located between Wilson Avenue and Church Street in Belford, according to the police report.

Holmdel Patrolman Charles Groder was also helpful in saving the dog, which had survived despite being neck-high in water in a swampy marsh area, said Amato. A Middletown Animal Control Officer transported the dog, a Labrador mix, to the Red Bank Veterinary Hospital.

Despite minor injuries and a frightful experience in the water, “The dog is going to be fine,” said Amato. 

According to Amato's investigation, Deppisch had been watching the puppy for his ex-girlfriend. “They had a fight … And he used the dog as a pawn,” he said. The dog is back with its owner. 

“He was remorseful. I’ll leave it at that,” said Amato.

Deppisch will face a Middletown municipal judge on the animal cruelty charges on May 23, said Amato. The charges are: inflicting unnecessary cruelty on a living creature, abandoning a disabled animal to die, and abusing a living creature, said Amato. If convicted under the NJ Anti-Cruelty Law, Deppisch could face up to a six month jail sentence and/or up to a $1,000 fine for each of the charges. 

About 100 cases of animal cruelty a month are investigated by Eatontown-based SPCA Police force, staffed by Chief Amato and eight agents/officers around the clock, said Amato. The force is funded by donations, he said.