Police, Fire & Courts

Brick Man Indicted on 149 Counts of Animal Cruelty in Hoarding Scenario

by
Daniel Nee
August 29, 2024

Jeffrey Finlay (Photo: Ocean County Jail)

The Brick Township man whose Mantoloking Road home was found to contain 157 cats and three dogs following a call to authorities May 4, 2023 has been indicted by a grand jury sitting in Ocean County, prosecutors said Friday.

Grand jurors handed up a 149-count indictment against Jeffrey Finlay, 56, this week in connection with the incident that occurred last year.

According to prosecutors, Finlay himself called police to request assistance with removing an “excessive number of animals” from his residence. Responding Officers discovered approximately 157 cats and 3 dogs living at the residence. Over the course of 24 hours, the animals were removed from the residence and transferred for treatment and evaluation to the Northern and Southern Ocean County animal facilities, which are under the direction of the Ocean County Health Department.

Finlay was initially charged with failure to provide care for a living animal or creature.

On June 5, 2023, the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office and Brick Township Police Department received the final veterinary reports from the Ocean County Health Department regarding the animals that were removed from the residence. The report determined that 25 cats needed to be euthanized and 4 cats suffered serious bodily injury – “all as a result of Finlay’s failure to provide necessary care for the animals,” a statement said.

The scene of an animal hoarding scenario at 730 Mantoloking Road, Brick, N.J., May 5, 2023. (Photo: Shorebeat)

Based upon the report’s findings, Finlay was charged on June 11, 2023 with animal cruelty and a warrant was issued for his arrest. On June 14, 2023, Finlay surrendered himself to Brick Township Police headquarters. He was processed and transported to the Ocean County Jail, but subsequently released as a pursuant to New Jersey’s bail reform law.

“Prosecutor [Bradley] Billhimer acknowledges the diligent efforts of Assistant Prosecutor Alexander Becker who presented the case to the Grand Jury on behalf of the State, and commends the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office, Brick Township Police Department, Ocean County Health Department, and Northern and Southern Ocean County Animal Facilities, for their combined and collective efforts in connection with this investigation,” the statement said.