Jeffrey S. Finlay, 56, pled guilty to two counts of animal cruelty on Monday. 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. When officers arrived they found 157 cats and 3 dogs living at the home.
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.
Finlay is scheduled to be sentenced on April 25, with prosecutors seeking a jail term of 180 days and a lifetime ban on animal ownership and community service not involving animals.