They Thought It Was A Paradise. Then They Heard The Dogs Cry

SHAMONG TOWNSHIP, NJ - For Dr. Ernie Lazos in 2017, life was good and the future was bright. He was getting married, and he and his wife had just moved into their new home in quaint Shamong Township, a town of just more than 6,400 people.

“I thought it was a paradise,” Lazos said. “I soon found out I moved into a horrific situation and I’m still plagued with it. I have PTSD type syndrome.”

What Lazos thought was paradise became a horror show. He and his wife found that they were hearing dogs cry out for help day and night.

“There was one dog I would always hear yelp and cry,” Lazos said. “ … He was relentless. It was like he was saying, ‘Someone come and get me. I don’t belong here.’”

A year later, his neighbor was arrested after 44 dead dogs that were found in freezer bags were found stored in freezers throughout her home. In November, 65-year-old Donna Roberts was arrested and charged with animal cruelty.

On Tuesday night, the public asked, "what took so long?" That was the question in a packed committee chambers in Shamong Tuesday night. The public questioned how someone who was accused of keeping 161 dogs in inhumane conditions went for so long before officials stepped in.

Four dogs were found in critical condition, and one of them eventually died. The other three are in good condition.

Her home has been condemned, although she can bring it up to code and continue to live there, according to township officials. A year after Lazos moved into the horrific situation, the justice system is beginning to work.

Shamong Mayor Michael DiCroce said when Lazos made the first complaints in 2017, the township contacted New Jersey State Police, and action was taken. Roberts appeared in court several times and reached an agreement on a remediation process.

In 2018, DiCroce said the township began to receive complaints about dogs barking and a concern that the dogs were being mistreated. He said officials and the township’s animal control officer visited the property.

“None of us heard dogs barking,” DiCroce said. “It’s not that we didn’t believe it, it’s just that we didn’t hear any dogs. The outside revealed nothing.”

Officials weren’t permitted to go inside the home by law. They were dealing with the issue as though it was a noise complaint, although Lazos insisted that what he reported was not just a matter of “dogs barking.”

“It was reported as a noise complaint,” Shamong Solicitor Douglas Heinold said. “No one could have anticipated the problems that were going on inside the home.”

It was at this point Shamong began drafting a local ordinance to protect animals from abuse. The first attempt was introduced in August, but was eventually tabled because it received opposition for being too strict.

A new ordinance that narrowed its focus was introduced in September and approved in November. Two weeks later, Roberts’ home was searched, and she was arrested and charged. Read more here: Number Of Dogs Found In South Jersey Woman’s Home Increased

Four dogs were found in critical condition, and one of them eventually died. The other three are in good condition, DiCroce said. Roberts' home has been condemned, although she can bring it up to code and continue to live there, according to township officials. Some neighbors claim she continues to live there full time, illegally, and officials said more charges against her are anticipated.

While officials said they acted as soon as they knew there was a problem, some residents said the township should’ve been more aware of what was happening, particularly when Roberts applied for more than 70 dog licenses earlier this year. They also believe the township should’ve done more to protect animals earlier.

Minutes from the Aug. 25, 2009, committee meeting reflect that the Burlington County Department of Health requested that the township pass an ordinance on Kennell Licensing that would have allowed the county to search the homes of those accused of animal abuse.

“She contacted the solicitor, and he felt there was not a need for the township to pass this ordinance,” the minutes show.

And as of October of last year when Lazos first reported the issue, 113 towns in New Jersey - including nine in Burlington County - had laws that prohibited the sale of dogs and cats in pet stores. That number was up to 120 as of May, according to NJ 101.5.

Read more here: Moorestown Finalizes Puppy And Kitten Mill Pet Ban

Officials said it takes time to pass bad laws, let alone good ones. Lazos was after the township for a year before officials began to listen, he said.

After his initial complaint, he said Roberts came to his home, pounding on his front door and pleading her case. He said he initially felt bad, but when she left, “something didn’t sit right.”

“It could’ve been taken care of before now, but she fooled me, so maybe she fooled you too,” he told officials during the meeting.

He also claims one official told him to plant bushes to muffle the noise. He felt like his complaints were going nowhere, and he and his wife briefly considered giving up.

“I told my wife, if we leave, can we live knowing what’s going on in that house,” Lazos said.

And now the nightmare has come to an end. While some residents defended the committee and believe they acted as soon as they could, others believe Lazos’s persistence ultimately resulted in the charges and hail him as a hero. He doesn’t embrace that label, and hopes the township doesn’t allow this nightmare to happen again.

“This was a bad situation,” Lazos said. “Don’t let it happen again.”

Read more here: 44 Dead Dogs Found In Freezers At South Jersey Home: Police

The attached image of Donna Roberts was provided by New Jersey State Police.