Officials: 90 dogs rescued from deplorable conditions inside Vernon Township home

The dogs were living on the property as part of a private pet rescue known as “Angels for Animals Network.”

Chris Keating

Feb 21, 2024, 10:46 PM

Updated 294 days ago

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Officials say that 90 dogs have been confiscated from a secluded property in Vernon Township, in Sussex County. The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals raided the property on Wednesday at 7 a.m.
The dogs were living on the property as part of a private pet rescue known as “Angels for Animals Network.” The property is located along Grove Trail.
The ASPCA released a video of the animals as they were being taken from the house. That video shows some dogs with severely matted fur, while others had untreated medical conditions. Some could be seen in a room filled with their own feces covering the floor. Police say that some dead animals were also found on the grounds.
Gizela Juric and Ronald Colgan, who owned the property, are being charged with animal cruelty. On social media, “Angels for Animals Network” was billed as a no-kill nonprofit.
The Sussex County prosecutor says that in a separate case, Juric was charged with animal cruelty in relation to the death of a dog in her care.
Neighbors had complained about the property to local animal control for many months.
News 12 spoke with a neighbor who said he often saw the dogs roaming the neighborhood and onto his property.
“We’ve had a lot of run-ins with bands of four or five dogs at a time,” says Dan Downs. “They were skittish and would run off for the most part, bark a little bit."
Downs said they found a puppy on their property which they handed off to animal control. He said he knew there were a lot of dogs on the secluded property, but he never thought there were 90.
“Hearing about the sheer quantity of animals that actually shocked me,” Downs says. “I figured maybe 20 or 30 max.”
All of the dogs are now in Ohio. They were loaded onto vans and sent to the Cruelty Recovery Center, which is run by the ASPCA. News 12 was told the dogs will receive shelter, medical care and enrichment.