Dogs, Cats From Brick 'Puppy Mill' Under Ocean County's Care

BRICK, NJ — Dogs and cats that were being kept in stacked crates at a home in Brick Township appear to have "a bright future" in spite of the conditions they were found in, an Ocean County Health Department official said Saturday evening.

The county health department is caring for 175 of the 180 dogs and cats that were removed from the home on Arrowhead Park Drive, said Dan Regenye, the public health coordinator for the health department.

There were 30 dogs and 17 cats taken to the Northern Ocean County Animal Facility in Jackson, 17 dogs and eight cats taken to the Southern Ocean County Animal Shelter in Manahawkin, and 81 dogs and 12 cats were taken to the county's facility in Barnegat, which is used to house animals in emergencies, Regenye said.

The county used its emergency shelter in Barnegat — it purchased the former Barnegat Kennels property several years ago, Regenye said — because law enforcement wanted to try to keep all the animals as centralized as possible due to the ongoing criminal investigation.

Aimee J. Lonczak, 49, and Michele Nycz, 58, who lived at the home with Lonczak's 16-year-old child, were being held at the Ocean County Jail in Toms River on animal cruelty charges over the conditions the animals were kept in, Brick Sgt. Jim Kelly said. They additionally are charged with child endangerment.

The two were arrested after Brick Patrolman Scott Smith, the department’s humane law enforcement officer, and Patrolman Brennan Lanni went to the home on the 100 block of Arrowhead Park Drive to investigate a complaint of a puppy mill and discovered the animals, Kelly said.

Read more: 180 Dogs, Cats Removed From Brick Home, 2 Arrested: Police

The home had a strong odor and unsanitary conditions, Kelly said, with animals in crates stacked on top of crates, resulting in some animals being covered in the feces of the animals above them.

Photos provided to Patch showed dogs in crates, with varying amounts of dirt and feces on them.

Kelly said the animals were evaluated by veterinarian Dr. Steven Cudia as they were removed from the home. Two of the dogs were found dead, he said; eight animals were sent for emergency veterinary care.

"The majority of the animals that came to us, while they weren't in the best shape, their temperament was very good for the most part," Regenye said. Some of the animals were "a little bit malnourished," he said, and very thirsty.

"Who knows what would have happened if they had been there much longer," he said.

But the animals were "very engaging," sniffing people's hands when they were offered near their enclosures. "You can just tell by their expressions and body language" that the animals are not terrified in the way that might have been expected, Regenye said.

"I definitely think they have a bright future," and will be able to be adopted into loving homes once law enforcement clears them for release, he said.

The dogs are a variety of breeds, including everything from chihuahuas to German shepherds, but the timetable for potential adoptions is unknown right now.

"Hopefully it goes fast through the law enforcement process," Regenye said.

The Friends of the Northern Ocean County Animal Facility and the Friends of the Southern Ocean County Animal Shelter, both of which posted requests for towels and blankets as they cared for the influx of animals, said they had received an overwhelming response that quickly filled their needs.

People wishing to make monetary donations were being encouraged to give to the rescues that assisted with the removal of the animals, or to the Southern Ocean Friends, which will be helping to pay for the veterinary costs, as the county does not have a staff veterinarian.

The organizations that responded were: NJ Animal Disaster Response; the Associated Humane Societies Animal Rescue; the Ocean County Animal Response Team; Anny, Jack and Lucy’s Animal Rescue; Tiny Paws Rescue; Art Cast Rescue; Animal Adoption Center; the Monmouth County SPCA, and the Associated Humane Societies Popcorn Park Zoo, Kelly said.

Regenye said this is not the first time the Barnegat facility has been used to house animals on an emergency basis. During Superstorm Sandy, it was used for families who were displaced and living where their pets could not be with them.

"We had iguanas, snakes, parakeets, all kinds of animals" during Sandy, he said. The property has an outdoor pen where livestock can be kept in an emergency, such as during one of the forest fires in the Pinelands, and offices for staff.

Regenye said the health department will provide updates when the dogs and cats pulled from the Brick home are available for adoption.

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