Couple to Pay $12K to Keep Dogs Alive—For Now

The Jefferson couple who has been fighting the township to forfeit their two 100-pound-plus dogs will have more time before the dogs are at risk for being euthanized, according to Prosecutor James LaSala.

LaSala said Susan and Gary Kolb came to an agreeement in court on Thursday for a "temporary postponent of the case" that would have put the two African Boerbel dogs at risk for being killed.

The Kolbs' two "potentially dangerous" dogs have been held by the township since October 2011 when they allegedly violated a statue for walking the dogs without muzzles.

Since then, the couple has been in court fighting against the town's ruling to forfeit their dogs. If the couple doesn't forfeit them, they could be killed. If they do agree, LaSala said he would try find an out-of-state facility to house them.

But for now, the forfeiting case is on hold until the criminal case against the Kolbs is resolved, according to LaSala.

The Kolbs are due back in court in Morristown for the alleged incident where they walked their dogs without a muzzle last year.

On Thursday, the Kolbs agreed to a deal to pay the $12,000 they owe the township for housing the dogs.

LaSala said they agreed to pay half of the money by Nov. 27, and the other half by Jan. 27.

The other part of the deal, LaSala said, is for the Kolbs and LaSala to agree on a place to house the dogs.

LaSala said the dogs' current facility at Woofs N Whiskers in Andover will only keep them until the end of the month.

LaSala said the township will hold the dogs until the case is over. He said they will continue with the hearings on the forfeiture case once the criminal case is over, assuming the couple makes the payments on time and that they find another facility to house the dogs.

LaSalsa said that if he can't find another place to house the dogs, and if the couple doesn't make the payments on time, they could "potentially be put down."

The dogs were taken away last October after they allegedly attacked three people by their previous home in Jersey City.

The Kolbs had signed an agreement to sell the dogs to a buyer in Los Angeles but then refused to give up the animals and were held in contempt of court in 2010.

Once they moved to Jefferson, they were required by the state to follow several rules, including only walking the dogs with a muzzle.

Once they broke the law walking the dogs without the muzzle within the same month they moved to Jefferson, the dogs were taken away.

Susan Kolb has disagreed with the money that they owe to the township because they provide food for the dogs, but Jefferson Mayor Russell Felter has said the charge is for the facility's daily boarding fee.

The Kolbs have created savenjdogs.com, a website where they updated their story. They have raised more than $4,000 since May 23 toward their goal of $20,000 for the "Jumba and Imani Defense Fund."