Police, Fire & Courts

Women Who Kept 129 Dogs, 43 Cats in Brick Home Sentenced to Jail Term, Animal Ban

by
Daniel Nee
August 16, 2024

Animal cruelty suspects Aimee Lonczak, 49, and Michele Nycz, 58, both of Brick. (Photo: Ocean County Jail)

The two women who kept a staggering 129 dogs and 43 cats in a ranch-style home in Brick Township will spend 364 days in the Ocean County Jail for animal cruelty and child neglect charges, a judge ruled Friday.

Superior Court Judge Guy P. Ryan sentenced Michele Nycz, 60, and Aimee Lonczak, 51, both of Brick Township, to 364 days in the Ocean County Jail as a condition of a four-year probationary term, as a result of their previously entered guilty pleas to two counts of animal cruelty in connection with an investigation that began on Dec. 2, 2022 in Brick Township.

Ryan additionally imposed a lifetime ban on animal ownership and working with animals, as well as community service (not to involve animals) on both women. Lonczak was sentenced to an additional 364 days in the Ocean County Jail as a result of her previously-entered guilty plea to child neglect in connection with the same investigation, as a 16-year-old girl was living on the premises amongst putrid animal waste. The sentences will run concurrently, however, meaning Lonczak will still serve one year in jail.

The home at 11 Arrowhead Park Drive, Brick Township, where 180 animals were being kept in a suspected ‘puppy mill’ operation, Dec. 3, 2022. (Photo: Daniel Nee)

The Arrowhead Park Drive home in Brick, N.J., where about 180 animals were being held, Jan. 2023. (Photo: Daniel Nee)

Nycz pled guilty to the charges before Ryan on June 24, 2024 and Lonczak pled guilty on June 25, 2024.

Brick police officers discovered a “horrible and inhumane” scene while investigating a report that a “puppy mill” was being operated in an Arrowhead Drive home, police said in Dec. 2022, when the scene was discovered. Ultimately, authorities would find about 180 animals in the home, including two dogs who were already deceased. It was later reported that the animals were not necessarily being bred, but instead were collected from rescues and kept in the home.

While speaking with the residents – Lonczak and Nycz – in the driveway of the home after the initial call from a neighbor, responding officers could detect a strong odor coming from the residence, and heard barking. Officers were subsequently permitted to enter the residence and immediately detected an intense odor and unsanitary conditions. Additionally, the officers observed animal crates containing dogs and cats stacked on top of one another.

Due to the conditions existing in the home at that time, the officers were forced to exit the residence and requested that a HAZMAT team respond. Rescuers in HAZMAT equipment subsequently removed approximately 129 dogs and 43 cats located in the residence, and the bodies of two deceased dogs.

The home at 11 Arrowhead Park Drive, Brick Township, where 180 animals were being kept in a suspected ‘puppy mill’ operation, Dec. 3, 2022. (Photo: Daniel Nee)

The Arrowhead Park Drive home in Brick, N.J., where about 180 animals were being held, Jan. 2023. (Photo: Daniel Nee)

The home at 11 Arrowhead Park Drive, Brick Township, where 180 animals were being kept in a suspected ‘puppy mill’ operation, Dec. 3, 2022. (Photo: Daniel Nee)

The Arrowhead Park Drive home in Brick, N.J., where about 180 animals were being held, Jan. 2023. (Photo: Daniel Nee)

By the next morning, an acrid, urine-scented order wafted through the scene. Dog feces was spread over a driveway and cages were stacked several feet in the air throughout the backyard area. Police tape surrounded portions of the property and a condemnation notice was taped to the front door. A neighbor said they believed at least some of the animals were being kept in two SUVs that were parked in the driveway – one with no license plate attached.

Brick would later place a lien on the home for cleanup efforts.