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Article Archive > He Speaks For The Animals He Speaks For The Animals Victor "Buddy" Amato doesn't consider himself a hero. Some other folks disagree. Amato, of Hazlet, has spent the last five years as chief of police for the Monmouth County Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, tracking down animal abuse cases and trying to educate people about the animals we share our world with. "Look, I go out there every day, and I just try to do a job," he said. "It's a job where I get to speak for victims who can't speak for themselves. You see some bad stuff, but you get a chance to do a lot of good things, too." And it's those good things that have a cadre of people trying to get Amato named the Animal Planet Hero of the Year, an annual award given by the cable television network that specializes in animal stories. Voting is taking place on Animal Planet's Web site, and the deadline to vote is July 19. Amato's work was highlighted this year when an Aberdeen man, Anthony Appolonia, was indicted on 19 counts of animal cruelty by a Monmouth County grand jury. "It was the worst case of animal cruelty I had ever seen," Amato said. Prosecutors allege Appolonia adopted kittens from people who had taken out ads looking to place the animals in good homes, and then killed them. But Amato's admirers said they were impressed with his work long before the high-profile case developed. "Buddy is what this award was designed for," said Barbara Ling, a Holmdel mother of four. "He doesn't just enforce the laws, he goes out of his way to see that animals are protected and that people learn about them." Lisa Weiss of Middletown said it was hard for her to verbalize the contributions Amato has made to animal welfare. "The Animal Planet application asks you to cite an example of what he's done to deserve the award," Weiss said. "It's hard because there's not just one thing that makes him deserving. It's who he is. He understands the whole picture. Protecting animals, and also the bigger picture of protecting the environment. He enforces the law, he teaches, he cares." An example of that caring are the three kittens Amato and his family have taken into foster care, Weiss said. "These kittens were found about two weeks ago," Weiss said. "They had been abandoned, and they were so young their eyes were still closed. He and his family have taken them in and are getting up every two hours to bottle feed them. When an animal's in need, he puts himself out without questioning it. He's what they had in mind when they made this award." Amato also has some legislative horsepower behind his nomination. State Sen. Joseph M. Kyrillos Jr., R-Monmouth, termed Amato someone who "has made a significant positive impact on our community. "He provides an example of dedicated public service every day," Kyrillos said. "Knowing Buddy and everything he does, I can't think of anyone more deserving." Kyrillos said he "e-mailed a couple of thousand people" extolling Amato's virtues. "He has a heart of gold for people and animals. He sets the standard for community service," he said. Anyone interested in making a nomination can go the Animal Planet Web site, Ling said. "I'm hoping a lot of the people Buddy has helped will do it," she said. "The more nominations he has the better his chances."
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