They left with a goat.
When animal control officers found a pig running down Route 79 in Marlboro, they took it to the Licitras' farm in the Morganville section of Marlboro and asked if the couple would foster the animal until a permanent home could be found for it.
The Licitras agreed, but when animal control officers later informed them they had found a home for the pig, Ross Licitra told the officers, "Forget about it. She's already got a name."
And a permanent home.
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| Ross Licitra, the new chief law enforcement officer for the Monmouth County Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, with some of his many rescues on his family farm in Marlboro. (Photo: TOM SPADER/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER) |
Over the years, Buddy the Goat and Peggy the Pig were among many unwanted or abandoned barnyard creatures that found sanctuary at the Licitras' five-acre farm – a place the couple called home while Ross Licitra toiled undercover, taking drug dealers off the streets of Monmouth County, and Heather Licitra worked as a model in Manhattan.
Now, four years after he retired as a lieutenant with the Monmouth County Prosecutor's narcotics strike force, Ross Licitra has returned to the county SPCA to take on a new challenge – protecting Monmouth County's animals.
Licitra, 51, who has 30 years of law-enforcement experience, began working last week as the chief law enforcement officer for the county SPCA, the agency that enforces animal cruelty laws in Monmouth County.
1,000 cases of cruelty
Licitra takes the helm of the SPCA's law-enforcement arm at a time when cases of animal abuse, neglect and hoarding seem all too common in the Shore area.
Last year, the Monmouth County SPCA investigated more than 1,000 cruelty cases.
One was that of a woman who volunteered for the wildlife division of the SPCA, who was sentenced to five years on probation after scores of dead birds and other animals were found dead in her Little Silver home.
Earlier this month in neighboring Ocean County, 40 dogs were rescued from a Lakewood home filled with filth and feces. The dogs were walking along the rafters of the house because its floors had deteriorated under all the grime.
"How do you wind up with 40 dogs in your house?" Licitra asked as he petted one of his goats while it roamed the shaded grounds of his farm on Tuesday.
"People get into those situations where all they need to do is really ask for help," Licitra said. "We had a case in Long Branch a week ago where someone had 15 cats in their house. Their living conditions were deplorable. It's hard to wrap your head around it."
The new chief said he believes the way to prevent animal abuse and neglect is by education through enforcement.
"When people start seeing animal hoarders fined and having their houses condemned, they'll ask for help," he said.
He likened the situation to the battle against drunk driving when he was a young police officer in West Long Branch. Every weekend, there were more drunks on the road than the police could arrest, until they publicized DWI roadblocks, Licitra said. After that, he said, "we couldn't find a drunk."
Animal abuse falls into categories – crimes of commission and crimes of omission, Licitra said.
"I would always like to see accountability for people's acts," he said. "It boils down to selective enforcement to sort out the people who need help and the people who are cruel."
Signs of dogfighting
One thing Licitra said he hopes to bring attention to is dogfighting. He said it is probably more prevalent in Monmouth County than most people think.
In his new role, Licitra said he hopes to talk to the people who run the county police academy as well as narcotics officers and narcotics commanders associations to bring awareness to the signs of dogfighting. They include treadmills, which are used to build up the dogs' endurance, and spring poles to strengthen their necks, he said. Dogfighting often goes hand-in-hand with drugs and guns, he said.
As a narcotics detective, "I've probably stumbled across it and didn't pick up on the signs because I was looking for drugs," he said.
Licitra concedes that dealing with animal cruelty in the new job will be tough for him, because of his passionate love for animals, something he said flourished when he first started dating Heather years ago. The pair seem to have passed on their love for animals to their 9-year-old daughter, Gianna, who wants to be a veterinarian, Licitra said. The couple also has a 5-year-old son, Frankie, named after Licitra's late father, Frank, who was a state trooper and, later, chief of detectives at the Monmouth County Prosecutor's Office.
"It's going to be really, really difficult," Licitra said, knowing he will have to witness animal cruelty first-hand. "It's going to punch me hard in the head. If I can do one thing to put an end to it, then I've made progress."
He replaces Victor "Buddy" Amato, who resigned in March amid scandal involving racist and homophobic text messages he sent to employees.
Farm filled with animals
Licitra said he was alerted to the open position by local animal control officers who know him because they've placed animals found wandering the area's roads at his farm. Licitra said he believes the animals were dropped off and abandoned. They include Peggy the Pig and Skippy, one of the seven goats that currently reside on his farm. Buddy the Goat died two years ago, he said.
The Licitras also have three cats and two border collies. All but the border collies are rescued animals.
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| A pig living on the Marlboro farm of Ross Licitra, the new chief law enforcement officer for the Monmouth County Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. (Photo: TOM SPADER/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER) |
Licitra's love for animals and law-enforcement background, which included stints with the West Long Branch police and Monmouth University's campus police, seemed like the perfect qualifications, according to SPCA officials.
"Ross' enthusiasm for animal welfare, extensive law-enforcement background and dedication to ending animal cruelty makes him an excellent fit for the role of chief of law enforcement," said Jerry Rosenthal, president and chief executive officer of the county SPCA.
Licitra said he sees animals this way: "They're as pure as it gets. They're the closest thing to God. … They depend on us, like a child. … Society needs to know that abusing animals can never be tolerated."
(Asbury Park Press - May 14, 2015)
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