A South Plainfield police officer and his family are fostering a dog that had been found abandoned in its owners home.

Officer Anthony Louise says the pit bull was found in June when South Plainfield officers were called to a home on Front Street for a welfare check on the dog’s owner. Louise says the dog was found in the home along with an abandoned cat. He says the dog, named Sarge, looked “days away from death” and was starving.

Louise says the ex-girlfriend of the animals’ owner took the abandoned cat while Sarge was taken to the Plainfield Area Humane Society. He says he learned about Sarge the next day and decided to make him part of the family.

Louise says the owner was charged with animal cruelty and has a pending court date in September. He says his family is fostering Sarge, but they will look into officially adopting him once his owner's case is finalized.