Hours after a Gloucester County first responder dog died in a county-owned vehicle last month – and two days before the prosecutor’s office was notified — K9 Ember was buried in the backyard of Fire Marshal Shawn K. Layton’s home in Mantua, sources say.
Layton and some of his friends, who have not yet been publicly identified, dug a grave for the dog trained to investigate arson incidents, as well as Layton’s personal dog who also died in the fire marshal vehicle, according to sources familiar with the incident.
A makeshift memorial was also erected that included a ceremonial fire hydrant, flowers, and a mound of top soil, a photograph obtained by the New Jersey Globe shows. It’s not immediately clear who paid for the gravesite materials.
Three weeks after the death of the two dogs, there has been no public comment from county officials or Layton. The Gloucester County Prosecutor’s office does not comment on pending investigations and did not do so when reached on Monday.
Layton, a Mantua Township Committeeman and a member of a politically influential family, was assigned to care for K9 Ember. County officials have not suspended Layton pending the investigation.
K9 Ember had joined the Gloucester County Fire Marshal’s Office in 2020 after being trained at the John “Sonny” Burke Police K-9 Academy at the Atlantic County Police Training Center.
State law provides stricter penalties for those who abuse animals that are utilized by law enforcement or first responders.