Old Bridge to expand crowded animal shelter
Municipal kennel has not been updated since the late 1970s
BY JESSICA SMITH
Staff Writer

Cats and dogs in Old Bridge will soon have reason to purr and wag their tails in appreciation.

The Old Bridge Animal Shelter will undergo a 700-square-foot expansion that will ease overcrowding, allow for improved services and better care for the animals living there.

"We know that the care and feeding of lost and unwanted animals is a problem that goes way beyond Old Bridge, but we try to do as much as we can for the homeless cats and dogs in our area," Mayor Jim Phillips said.

The additional facilities will provide the extra space needed so that cats and dogs can be housed in separate areas. A new adoption showroom will be created, giving people and pets a place to meet and greet one another. The extra space will also be used for storage of supplies, as well as for a new washing and cleaning area.

The $300,000 township-funded capital project is in its design stages.

"We're going to proceed as quickly as we can," Phillips said.

Old Bridge Police Detective Lt. Colleen McNamara serves as supervisor at the shelter as well as a certified animal control officer in the township. She said past mayors have never stepped up to improve the facilities at the shelter, and that she is pleased with township officials' attention to the matter.

"They are really putting their money where their mouth is," McNamara said. "It's going to be a great facility. We want to make the most of this opportunity."

McNamara said the facility has not been updated since it was built in the late 1970s. The shelter is unique because normally only larger cities have their own kennels, McNamara said. Aside from housing the animals in a no-kill environment to ready them for adoption, the shelter also provides housing for lost animals until they are located by their owners.

To combat the problems of animal neglect, abandonment and overpopulation, the volunteers at the shelter provide education to the public. Pet owners sometimes get rid of their animals when behavioral or other problems arise, when often the problems can be resolved, McNamara said.

"You certainly wouldn't turn your kid in if your kid was bad," McNamara said.

Whether it is instructing pet owners on how to care for their animals, or working with local groups from schools and Scout troops throughout the community, the shelter's staff takes a proactive approach to their work.

"It really hits a lot of people in a lot of different ways," McNamara said.

Those involved at the shelter have struggled with the problem of housing cats and dogs in the same area for a while. State regulations require that the animals be housed in separate areas, and that an isolation room with its own air supply be provided for sick cats. As a temporary fix to the stress put on cats by being faced with barking dogs in opposite cages, the staff put up shower curtains between them.

"These dogs are looking at these cats like they're breakfast," McNamara said. "I certainly wouldn't feel good staring at a convict who's been put in jail."

The existing kennel will house only dogs once the construction is completed. McNamara said the goal is to make the facility less institutional and more conducive to adoption. The cat area will have large play cages, along with a one-and-a-half story sunlit cage for showcasing cats that are ready for adoption.

"We just want to make their lives more bearable," said Cathy Cleary, a volunteer and member of the Friends of Old Bridge Animal Shelter (FOBAS). "Our main concern is these animals, and our motto is 'Get them in, and get them out of there.'"

The meet-and-greet area will be like a living room where potential owners can interact with the animals in a relaxed environment.

McNamara said corporate sponsorships will be sought to help in the shelter's operations.

"Whenever you're caring for animals, there are always a lot of unexpected costs," McNamara said.

Cleary said the shelter is always in need of donations, including items like towels, blankets and pillowcases, things many people can spare.

She also stressed the importance of spaying and neutering pets, because their reproduction contributes to the rampant problem of homeless animals. She cited a fact from the Humane Society of the United States that said one non-neutered male and one un-spayed female cat, along with their offspring, will produce 80 million cats within 10 years.

"Having a pet can do wonders for both the animal and the family adopting it, so we must continue to find ways to encourage Old Bridge families to open their homes to pet adoptions," Phillips said. "Hopefully, the new shelter will help raise awareness and encourage our residents to do so."

Potential adopters can peruse the shelter's population by visiting petfinder.com, then linking to Old Bridge. There, one can also find the shelter's wish list for donations, along with other information.

The shelter is located in the municipal complex at Route 516 and Cottrell Road. It is operated by two animal control officers under the direction of the township police department.

Hours of operation are Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to noon and 2-3 p.m., and weekends from noon to 2 p.m. For more information, e-mail the shelter at OldBridgeanimalshelter@yahoo.com or call them at (732) 721-5600, ext. 6300.