According to the animal advocacy group, Vincent Ascolese, 50, also had to pay $3,500 to the NJSPCA as restitution for the 2015 incident.
"No animal should have to die cruelly at the hands of someone entrusted with their safety," NJSPCA President Steve Shatkin said in a release about the plea deal.
"The NJSPCA will continue to aggressively prosecute anyone who brings harm to an animal, regardless of their title."
While working as the animal control officer in Bloomfield in June 2015, Ascolese, who is also the owner of Bergen Humane and director and supervising animal control officer at the North Jersey Humane Society Shelter, was charged with animal cruelty after killing an injured fawn, the organization said.
Officials said exsanguination (SLITTING SOMETHING'S THROAT), or blood draining, was not an approved method of animal euthanasia in New Jersey.
But James Lisa, the attorney representing Ascolese, argued that the deer was already dead when the officer found it. He pleaded guilty to improper disposal of a dead deer, Lisa said, a plea that will not impact his licenses.
"All kinds of (aspersions) were cast against my client," Lisa said.
"This is a guy who spent his entire professional life helping these animals. ... If it's 3 in the morning, if there's an animal I trouble, he'll get out there to rescue it."
Despite Lisa's assertions that Ascolese acted in a humane manner in the situation, Bloomfield severed its animal control contract with him later in 2015.
ADDITIONAL CRUELTY CHARGES INVOLVING OTHER ANIMALS THROWN OUT(!)
As part of the plea deal, the NJSPCA said, additional animal cruelty charges against Ascolese, stemming from an August 2015 state health department inspection of his shelter, were dismissed.
Those charges included failing to provide necessary vet care to a dog and a baby squirrel at the shelter, the group said.
"Over the last 18 months NJSPCA has worked closely with local prosecutors to bring this case to a resolution," said NJSPCA Chief Colonel Frank Rizzo.
"We were confident when we filed the charges back in 2015 and remained confident as we moved this case through the judicial process. We are satisfied with outcome."
Lisa, too, said he was satisfied with the outcome of his case.
"Now he can go on with his life," he said.
Can the baby deer which had its throat slit "go on with his life"?
(NJ.com - March 10, 2017)
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