Vote for those who support animal shelter
It may be true that good things come to those who wait, but those of us who have been waiting for the groundbreaking on the Old Bridge Animal Shelter addition and renovations are about to lose hope. We have heard nothing but platitudes and promises for months - still the animals wallow in sub-par conditions and the renovation-that-wasn't is nothing but a wisp of smoke on the wind.

Mayor Philips and the Township Council have been very supportive of our shelter and the proposed addition in the past and we appreciate this very much. These individuals were made aware of the deplorable shelter conditions and they did something: the shelter was approved for an addition and the funding to make it happen was passed. We sincerely thank them for their efforts to improve the conditions in the shelter.

But it has been close to a year now since the expansion was approved, and nothing seems to be happening. We have the signatures of over 900 individuals who strongly support this addition and all of them are at a loss to understand why the beginning has not yet begun. So this is a callout to those supportive 900 and all of you out there who would like to see our four-legged friends spending their shelter sojourn under better conditions. As it stands now, the poor cats and kittens have barking dogs in their faces 24/7, during kitten season - which didn't seem to have an end this year - there is extreme overcrowding, there is no space for routine care, and the shelter has a desperate need for a people-friendly adoption environment.

Let's take advantage of this election year and let our public officials know that we want to see action on this expansion immediately. We will be happy to give our support to those public officials who are willing to take this stalled project to swift completion. Please phone, e-mail, or visit our mayor and the council people to let them know how you feel. The phone number for the township is (732) 721-5600.

A society is judged by the way it takes care of those who cannot do so for themselves. Help us help the innocents. The animals can't vote, but we can. Let's make sure our officials know that their welfare is important to us all. Thank you for your support.

Cathy Cleary Virginia Marshall

Debbie Mattson

Barbara Roberts Founding members Friends of Old Bridge Animal Shelter (FOOBAS)