Matawan Woman Charged With Animal Cruelty At Newark Shelter

MATAWAN, NJ — The New Jersey Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals filed eight animal cruelty charges Wednesday against a Matawan woman who has long overseen the largest and busiest animal shelter in the state, in Newark.

The charges were filed Wednesday, Nov. 15 against Roseann Trezza, 70, of Matawan. Trezza is the executive director of the Associated Humane Societies, where she's worked for over forty years. Trezza and her team run three animal shelters in the state, in Newark, Forked River and Tinton Falls. But the Newark location is their biggest; it's a high-intake shelter that handles the Animal Control calls for many nearby towns.

Trezza has been at the helm of the AHS for years. She was charged with failing to provide necessary care to multiple animals, with violations ranging from filthy water bowls to commingling sick and healthy animals. The Newark Patch has long reported on the state's ongoing investigations into the AHS Newark animal shelter. After someone complained, state health investigators inspected the facility Trezza runs on Aug. 22 of this year and allegedly found:

• Bags of animal carcasses left laying outside the building
• Sick animals with bloody urine, diarrhea, vomiting, Kennel Cough and nasal discharge
• Dogs and cats kept in cramped, dark enclosures without exercise
• A deteriorating, dirty building that posed health and safety risks

Related: NJ Inspectors Find Grim Violations At Newark Animal Shelter Pictured above is a photo of animal carcasses wrapped in plastic at the shelter, provided to Patch by the NJ Dept. of Health.

Trezza was not available to speak when a Patch reporter called the shelter Thursday.

These charges are the result of a multiple-month, multiple-visit inspection and joint efforts of the State Department of Health, Newark Department of Health and NJSPCA Humane Police. Trezza was charged with eight criminal counts of animal cruelty and eight civil counts of animal cruelty for incidents at the Newark location. The charges were filed in Newark Municipal Court.

A court date of December 7 at 4 p.m. has been scheduled.

Photo of the Newark Animal Shelter from the New Jersey Department of Health, via OPRA request