LITTLE SILVER – A Monmouth County SPCA volunteer was hoarding hundreds of dead birds in her mother's borough home, police said.

Animal cruelty charges will be filed against Gretchen Rell, 54, of Little Silver, who also has a home in Ocean Township, for failure to provide proper care, Monmouth County SPCA Chief Law Enforcement Officer Victor “Buddy” Amato said.

On Monday, investigators were seen pulling numerous cardboard boxes, animal crates and bags from the home, all of which contained dead birds, Amato said. There were 18 live birds that were found and they were still counting the number of dead ones late in the afternoon.

“There’s boxes, piled on top of boxes, piled on top of boxes of dead animals,” Amato said.

Amato said there were various types of birds, including seagulls, pigeons, sparrows and doves, found in addition to some dead rabbits and other mammals. Rell volunteers at the MCSPCA as a rehabber, under the guidance of Don Bonica, who is licensed by the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection Division of Fish and Wildlife, Amato said.

“She’s a rehabber, people don’t bring dead animals to a rehabber,” he said. “At one point all these animals were obviously alive.”

NJDEP spokesman Bob Considine confirmed Rell is a sub-permittee and will be removed from Bonica’s permit immediately.

“We do recommend to our licensed rehabilitators that they keep tabs on their sub-permitees, but he is not in violation of his permit and is well regarded as a very caring and competent rehabilitator of birds,” Considine said in an email.

Bonica, who owns Toms River Avian Care, said Rell was not an apprentice rehabilitator and was never given permission from him to rehabilitate birds.

“Her function for our organization is very simple, to pick up birds from wherever they may be … pick up that bird and bring it to our facility,” Bonica said.

Rell has volunteered for Toms River Avian Care almost everyday for about seven to 10 years, Bonica said, and was supposed to bring the birds to the facility the same day that she picked them up.

Bonica described Rell as “normal” and “caring,” and said she had some domestic pigeons as pets.

“This is a horrible situation,” Bonica said. “I’m grasping as much as the next person as to what this is all about. I never in my wildest dreams think she had this.”

Monmouth County SPCA President and CEO Jerry Rosenthal said the organization must turn any birds over to a licensed rehabilitator, within 48 hours of receiving them for care.

Rell has been volunteering for the MCSPCA working with birds for more than 15 years, Rosenthal said.

“Often [hoarding cases] start with people with good intentions who become overwhelmed and don’t know how to ask for help,” Rosenthal said. “Our role is to enforce animal cruelty laws here in Monmouth County, regardless of who it is.”

At the Little Silver home, one MCSPCA investigator, Sgt. Matty Giuliano, recognized a seagull that he had rescued from the side of the road. Giuliano said he brought the bird into the MCSPCA in his own crate, and found that crate and the now-dead seagull, in Rell’s home.

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Authorities learned about the situation after Rell’s brother was visiting his mother from out of state and called police after seeing the conditions at the home, Amato said.

“This is what happens to people that are well intended that get overwhelmed,” Amato said.

Many of the boxes were found closed, as they had left the shelter, and had MCSPCA tags on them, Amato said. The cause of death of the animals is still being determined, he said.

Rell also has a residence in Ocean Township and authorities plan to check on that home, Amato said. She has also been barred from volunteering at the SPCA, Amato said.

Amato said in addition to Giuliano, Detective Sgt. William Hyer and Lt. Ronnie Ehrenspeck were investigating, with the assistance of the Little Silver Police Department, MCSPCA Agent Kerry Gowan and veterinarian Dr. Nicole Feddersen.