Former Bloomfield Animal Control Officer Vincent Ascolese pleaded guilty to three counts of disorderly conduct in Bloomfield Municipal Court on Thursday, March 9.
Ascolese faced multiple NJ Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals charges stemming from his euthanizing an injured fawn on June 29, 2015, by cutting the animal’s throat, and for the mistreatment of a dog and squirrel housed at the shelter. The deer had been found on private property. Bloomfield Prosecutor John Cerza called the guilty pleas “a good result for everybody.”
“It was important to get convictions,” he said.
Cerza said whether or not Ascolese gets his license revoked is up to another agency.
“My understanding is that these convictions can be used against him.” he said. “Everyone has their eye on this guy at this point in time.”
In a telephone interview following the proceedings, Ascolese’s attorney, James Lisa, said his client did not plead guilty for any allegation of animal cruelty.
“It is my understanding this will not impact his license,” Lisa said.
According to Carol Tyler, the northern director of the NJ Certified Animal Control Officers Association, Ascolese is presently a licensed animal control officer.
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This article is incorrect!!! Ascolese DID NOT plead guilty to three counts of disorderly conduct!! Ascolese plead guilty to improper disposal of an animal .
Great !! I’m a certified ACO !!! Hire me in his place 🙂
DAMN! No justice for animals.
I think it’s unfair to judge a dedicated licensed animal control officer by only parts of the truth which were depicted by unqualified mock state agency-NJSPCA. NJ Fish and Wildlife exonerated Vincent and they are the real experts in state animal laws.
NJ Fish and Wildlife should investigate why this was brought to court to waste tax payers money. Being a LEO myself I wouldnt have wasted a second on this. What happens when you hit a deer with your car. They don’t give it sleeping pills. Someone humanely puts it down. The state method is throat laceration. Firearms cannot be used in public.
how can you trust an agency- theNJSPCA-who lost their 529c charitable license due to financial irregularities.
Or a 501c3. Either way they are bent over crooked
He is as despicable excuse for a human being! Next in line should be the Animal Control officer at the Paterson Pound who is no better! And far worse, he is an SPCA officer who is supposed to be protecting these cats and dogs!
Thank you for your comment. As I heard in court and was told by the president of the NJSPCA, the guilty pleas were for disorderly person’s conduct charges. I spoke with Prosecutor Cerza following the proceedings. I asked him if the dog and squirrel had been euthanized. He said he did not know. I asked him what did “disposal” mean. He said how an animal is treated. I took that to mean that the disposal of an animal was not necessarily how its remains are treated. I hope to have a story in the newspaper next week adding the interview with Cerza.
Darn tootin! Y’all ought to be fixin on fixin that there situation. How in tarnation could such a hell spot be run by one of them spca types? That’s some crazy what do they call it, oxymoron stuff there boy! That Paterson shelter is back in them dark ages! Y’all need to shine the light in that situation asap
Look under NJJA 8:23A-1.11(d) Euthanasia. Exsanguination is not an acceptable method of euthanasia. That is the method that he allegedly euthanized the fawn. As an animal control officer, he should have known that is not a proper method of euthanasia. Also, NJSA 4:22-17 (the animal cruelty statutes) specify if animals were not being treated properly, it is a disorderly conduct charge but also an animal cruelty charge. If he was found guilty of animal cruelty, then his certification would be revoked under NJSA 4:19-15.16a 3(b)2. It really depends on what exactly he plead guilty to. I am a veterinarian who also happens to be an animal control officer/animal cruelty investigator so I’m quite familiar with the statutes.
Hey Big Buc 40: Ascolese is a total fraud. The only thing he’s dedicated to is himself and his ego. The best thing that happened to the shelter was the worst thing that happened to that fawn. But because of what he did Bloomfield finally got rid of him. The shelter is much better now than it ever was under that bloated egomaniacal creep. I know. I was there before, during and now. Good riddance to bad rubbish. He should have lost his license.
It’s all about who you know ?