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Michele Nycz, 60, pleaded guilty on Monday, June 24 to two counts of animal cruelty, Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley Billhimer said in a news release. Aimee Lonczak, 51, also pleaded guilty on the same day to two counts of animal cruelty, along with child neglect.
Brick police responded to a complaint of a suspected puppy mill run at a home on Arrowhead Park Drive on Friday, Dec. 2, 2022. Officers smelled a strong odor and heard barking from the house while speaking with Lonczak and Nycz in the driveway.
Police were allowed to enter the home and immediately saw it was in unsanitary condition with animal waste. Officers found dogs and cats in crates stacked on top of each other.
A hazmat team was called because of the home's conditions. Rescuers spent about 10 hours removing about 129 dogs and 43 cats from the house, along with the bodies of two dead dogs.
A veterinarian was at the scene to assess each animal as it was taken from the home. About eight pets were sent for emergency veterinary care.
Lonczak and Nycz were arrested at the home, which is also where Lonczak's 16-year-old daughter lived. They were brought to the Ocean County Jail and released on bail.
The women ran a now-private Instagram page called "Crazy Rescue Ladies Inc." It claimed to be a nonprofit "responsible rescue" that saved injured and unwanted street animals and depended on PayPal donations.
Some rescued pets were available for adoption after receiving medical treatment. Prosecutors said the women showed up at an animal shelter to get their dogs back on Thursday, Jan. 19, 2023.
Prosecutors said they're seeking 364 days in county jail for Lonczak and Nycz. The women would also get a lifetime ban on owning, working with, or performing community service around animals.
Lonczak and Nycz were scheduled for sentencing on Friday, Aug. 16.
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