Union Co. Shelter Hid Animals' Illnesses From Owners: Police

BERKELEY HEIGHTS, NJ — The owner and an employee of a Berkeley Heights animal shelter were charged with falsifying records of more than a dozen dogs to conceal negative aspects of their medical histories from prospective owners, authorities said.

Toni A. Turco, 55, of Warren, the owner of Home for Good Dogs Rescue Inc, was charged with 15 counts of falsifying records for the purpose of deceiving prospective pet owners, acting Union County Prosecutor Lyndsay Ruotolo said in a news release Friday.

Richard A. Errico, 65, of New Providence, an employee at the shelter, was charged with false advertising for the purpose of deceiving prospective pet owners, Ruotolo said.

The charges were filed following a long-term, joint investigation by the New Jersey Division of Consumer Affairs and the Special Prosecutions Unit of the Union County Prosecutor's Office into Home for Good Dog Rescue Inc., a nonprofit that was founded in 2010.

The rescue purports to rescue homeless dogs from high-kill shelters, the prosecutor said. The rescue reportedly provides animals with "lifesaving care" at a South Carolina-based veterinary facility before being taken to New Jersey for adoption, Ruotolo said.

The investigation revealed that the shelter was "scrubbing negative information" from more than a dozen dogs' intake forms before putting them up for adoption during a two-year span, according to Assistant Prosecutor Melissa Spagnoli, supervisor of the Special Prosecutions Unit.

The adopted pets included a variety of dog breeds, including hounds to designer breeds like Shih Tzus.

Turco was also charged with knowingly selling and/or exposing to human contact a pet with a contagious or infections disease, and coercion by threatening to harm an employee's reputation or livelihood.

"When properly managed, animal shelters across Union County and beyond perform a deeply valued public service by giving previously abandoned pets a second chance in life," Ruotolo said. "But what those in charge of this shelter did amounted to nothing short of a deliberate and flagrant violation of the public's trust, with conduct

The state Division of Consumer Affairs issued a violation notice to the shelter and assessed a $2,500 penalty against it for failing to register as a charity with the state, Ruotolo said. The shelter first filed as a charity in 2010, but did not file a renewal with the state after 2016, she said.

Charities that raise more than $10,000 annually must register with the

Turco and Errico are scheduled to appear in court Jan. 3.

The 15 falsifying records counts, which are third-degree offenses, are commonly punishable by three to five years in New Jersey State Prison.

Email: daniel.hubbard@patch.com