Man Who Had 157 Cats In Brick Home Pleads Guilty To Animal Cruelty

TOMS RIVER, NJ — A Brick Township man who had 157 cats in his rental home has pleaded guilty to animal cruelty, the Ocean County Prosecutor's Office said.

Jeffrey S. Finlay, 56, pled guilty to two counts of animal cruelty before Superior Court Judge Kenneth T. Palmer on Monday, Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer said.

He is scheduled to be sentenced on April 25, at which time prosecutors will be seeking a term of 180 days in the Ocean County Jail as a condition of probation, and a lifetime ban on animal ownership and community service not involving animals, the prosecutor's office said.

Finlay called Brick Township police to his home on Mantoloking Road on May 4, 2023, for assistance with removing an excessive number of animals from his residence, and officers found 157 cats and 3 dogs living at the home.

The animals were taken to the Northern and Southern Ocean County Animal Facilities for treatment, and Finlay initially was charged with failure to provide care for a living animal or creature.

However, the charges were upgraded after multiple cats had to be euthanized and others had suffered serious injuries because of his failure to provide care, Billhimer said.

Authorities initially said there were 25 cats that had to be euthanized and four that suffered serious injuries. The plea announcement said the report from the Ocean County Health Department's veterinarians indicated 68 cats had suffered serious bodily injury or had to be euthanized because of Finlay’s failure to provide necessary care for the animals.

The animal cruelty charges were filed June 11, 2023, and Finlay surrendered himself to Brick Township police on June 14, 2023, Billhimer said. He was taken to the Ocean County Jail but later released as a consequence of bail reform, the prosecutor said.

Finlay's landlords alleged at the time that Finlay only called police because the landlords were demanding to inspect the property after being unable to do so for two years due to the pandemic. Thomas and Deneen Fay, who own the Mantoloking Road home, said they were scheduled to inspect the home the following day after repeated delays.

Possession of the animals was a violation of the terms of the lease Finlay and his wife had signed, a copy of which was provided to Patch.

An unsafe structure order was issued for the home due to unsanitary conditions, Daniel F. Newman Jr., head of the Brick Township building department, said at the time.

Previous coverage:

• 25 Cats Euthanized Out Of 157 Removed From Brick Home, Prosecutor Says
• 130-Cat Removal Came As Brick Tenants Faced Inspection, Landlords Say
• Resident Charged As Animal Removal Finished At Brick Home
• More Than 100 Cats Removed From Brick Home: Police