Brick, NJ homeowner charged after surrendering 133 cats and dogs

🔴 130 cats and three dogs were surrendered by a Brick homeowner

🔴 It took Brick police 24 hours to remove all the animals from the house

🔴 Ocean County Animal Shelter staff will examine each animal before they go up for adoption

BRICK — A homeowner was charged after he surrendered 133 cats and dogs to police on Friday.

Brick police said it took 24 hours for officers to remove 130 cats and three dogs from the home of Jeffrey Finlay after he called police to his Mantoloking Road home Thursday and surrendered the animals.

According to the Ocean County Health Department, which took the animals to their animal shelters in Jackson and Manahawkin, Finlay was "relocating" and could not take them.

Cats surrendered by a Brick homeowner 5/5/23 (Ocean County Health Department)

Examinations before adoption

Each of the animals is being examined by veterinarians to make sure they are up-to-date on their vaccinations and are spayed or neutered before being put up for adoption.

Some of the cats have fleas and some minor health issues but were otherwise in good condition, according to the shelters.

Finlay was charged with failure to provide care of a living animal or creature, and violation of two township ordinance violations: failure to license an animal and violating a township ordinance prohibiting the ownership of five or more cats or dogs.

Two cats removed from a Brick home 5/4/23 (Ocean County Health Department)

Not like the 'Crazy Ladies Sanctuary'

Ocean County Health Officer Dan Regenye said the situation was nothing like the home of Aimee Lonczak and Michele Nyczbe where 180 dogs and cats living in filth were removed.

They were offered a plea deal that would have sentenced them to 364 days in the Ocean County Jail plus community service in exchange for guilty pleas on two counts of animal cruelty and child neglect, the Asbury Park Press and News 12 New Jersey reported.

They both rejected the deal and will take their chances on whether or not a grand jury decides to indict them. If the case then goes to trial and a jury finds them guilty, they could be sentenced to up to 10 years in prison.

Dan Alexander is a reporter for New Jersey 101.5. You can reach him at dan.alexander@townsquaremedia.com

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