Dog missing for 2 years found in alleged N.J. puppy mill, reunited with Tenn. family

New Years Eve ushered in a happy ending and a new beginning for Daisy, one of the 180 dogs and cats that the Ocean County Health Department recently rescued from an alleged illegal puppy mill in Brick.

There were tears and hugs and lots of tail-wagging on Saturday when the playful bloodhound was reunited with the family of Tyler Price, who drove all the way from Tennessee to the Northern Ocean County Animal Facility in Jackson to reclaim the pooch.

They drove 11 hours to get here, said Brian Lippai, spokesman for the Ocean County Health Department. There were lots of smiles, tears and happiness coming from both sides.

Price did not respond to a request for comment made through the health department. Lippai learned from talking to the family that Daisy went missing in Tennessee about two years years ago.

No one knows how the dog got to New Jersey, but he said the Price family made a wise decision to implant a microchip identification device on the dog and to keep paying for the service after Daisy disappeared.

Lippai said its likely Daisy got passed from owner to owner during her odyssey. Probably what happened was somebody gave the dog to somebody else, and then that person kept her awhile before giving her to somebody else, he said.

Daisy the bloodhound was one of more than 100 dogs and cats that Ocean County liberated from an alleged illegal puppy mill recently.

Luckily, the microchip was still activated on Dec. 2, when Brick police raided a home on Arrowhead Park Drive where they said they found 135 dogs and 45 cats crammed into cages that stunk of urine and feces. Police brought in a Hazmat unit, cleared out the animals and condemned the house.

Police arrested Aimee Lonczak, 49, and Michele Nycz, 58, and charged them with animal cruelty, officials said. Lonczak, whose 16-year-old daughter lived in the house, was additionally charged with child endangerment.

Daisy and the other 179 cats and dogs were sent to Ocean Countys three shelters, where they were bathed and spayed and readied for adoption.

Daisy is one of two animals that have found homes so far, Lippai said.

Despite the horror of being crammed into a cage, Lippai described Daisys demeanor as sweet and gentle.

Shes a big slobberer, big and playful, he said. She just wants to roll on her belly.

Reuniting Daisy with her family was a relatively easy task with the microchip, which assigns an identification number to the pet that links to a database with contact information.

They were ecstatic when they got the phone call, Lippai said. Just to know their dog was safe, and being well taken care of.

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