3 N.J. women accused of putting electric dog collar on girl, shocking her and depriving her of food

STRATFORD, N.J. (TCD) -- Three women were taken into custody after a girl escaped and ran to her neighbor’s house wearing a dog collar and saying she would get shocked as a form of punishment.

According to the Cherry Hill Courier-Post, on March 1, a neighbor called Stratford Police when the girl showed up at the neighbor’s home wearing a "dog shock collar." Police reportedly transported her to a nearby hospital and noticed marks on her neck from the collar’s placement.

Forty-two-year-old Kelly Menning, 22-year-old Rebecca Menning, and 20-year-old Rachel Menning, who reportedly all have a "legal duty for the care" of the girl, face charges of assault and neglect.

The girl, who was reportedly only identified as I.D. in court documents, reportedly said in an interview at the Camden County Child Advocacy Center that the abuse allegedly began in October 2018 when she was 9 years old. Court documents reportedly said the Mennings did not give her the "appropriate amounts of food and clothing amenities."

The neighbor who called the police, Karen Villec, told NBC New York the girl told her, "Help me! Help me! Help me! They’re shocking me!"

The collar reportedly continued to buzz in Villec’s hand.

One witness who reportedly lived in the Menning residence at the time of the alleged abuse told police the Mennings would put the collar on the girl when she was "bad."

Villec told WPVI-TV, "You can hear in the winter, through the windows, always yelling and fighting."

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