Kathleen Hopkins

@Khopkinsapp

HOWELL - The couple who housed 276 dogs at their Bennett Road home could face more than $1 million in fines, if they are found guilty of animal cruelty, authorities said.

Meanwhile, the cost to care for the canines since they were removed from the home could approach "six figures,'' said Lt. Tom Nuccio of the Monmouth County Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.

Charlene and Joseph Handrick appeared Wednesday before Municipal Court Judge Susan Schroeder Clark, who informed the husband and wife that each are charged with 552 counts of animal cruelty - two for each dog taken from their home on June 3.

The charges allege that the couple exposed each dog to unnecessary cruelty, and that they failed to provide the dogs with veterinary care, the judge told them.

Schroeder Clark explained the consequences if the couple is found guilty - each charge carries a maximum $1,000 fine, a maximum of six months in jail, mandatory community service and potential restitution for the cost of food, shelter and medical care provided to the dogs..



EARLIER: Hundreds of charges in Howell dog hoarding case

The judge entered not guilty pleas on behalf of both Charlene Handrick, 58, and Joseph Handrick, 55. Charlene Handrick made an application for a public defender, but the judge said she did not qualify for one. After that, Joseph Handrick told the judge he would hire his own attorney. Schroeder Clark told the couple they would be given a new court date.

The couple declined to talk to news media upon leaving court. They spoke for a while with Nuccio of the SPCA and eventually left the parking lot of the municipal justice complex in an older model, Mercury Grand Marquis.

Nuccio said the Handricks were asking him about getting an attorney.

He said the fines could add up to $552,000 for each of them, for a total of more than $1 million.

Nuccio said he doesn't know what assets the couple has that would disqualify them from the assistance of a public defender, but he said when the Handricks had the dogs, they were providing them with 100 pounds of dog food a day.

The couple inquired about getting back three or four of their dogs, but "we didn't think that would be a good idea,'' Nuccio said.

So far, between 30 to 40 of the dogs have been adopted while the others are awaiting adoption at shelters or being socialized for adoption, he said.

Meanwhile, the cost of caring for the Handricks' dogs is adding up to "an incredible amount,'' Nuccio said.

WATCH: First of Howell rescue dogs adopted

"It could be well into six figures'' to cover the cost of food for the dogs, vaccinations, microchips and spay-neuter appointments, he said.

"It's a lot of money,'' he said.

MORE ANIMAL HOARDING: 36 cats rescued from Colts Neck

In addition to the animal cruelty charges, both the husband and wife were issued summonses for ordinance violations for not licensing 200 of the dogs. Nuccio said that there had been previous summonses issued earlier by the Associated Humane Society for the other unlicensed dogs, but the scope of the situation was not known then. The officer with the Associated Humane Society was never let into the Handricks' house, so he never saw the dogs, Nuccio said.



Then, on June 2, the Associated Humane Society was notified that a dog had gotten loose, authorities said. Representatives of the Monmouth County SPCA were notified and were able to get into the house the following day. When they did, they found a total of 276 dogs inside, some which were giving birth while officers were there.



Kathleen Hopkins: 732-643-4202; Khopkins@app.com

BELOW: Check out photos of the dogs rescued