Animal shelter expansion to get under way in O.B. Officials say facility will have pets happier, other towns jealous BY JESSICA SMITH Staff Writer Though some would say the process has taken a dog's age, the Old Bridge animal shelter expansion project will prove worth the wait, according to officials. "It simply came down to, we wanted to move with speed and not haste, and we wanted to do it right the first time," Mayor Jim Phillips said. "If that took a little more time, I'm sorry, but by taking our time and doing it right, we'll end up with a better finished product." According to Township Business Administrator Mike Jacobs, work on the animal shelter will begin any day now. Keyport-based Innovative Designs Inc. entered into a 90-day contract with the township. "This time of year, you can probably add 30 to 60 days," Jacobs said. "It just depends on if it stays warm." The total cost of the construction portion of the project is $375,781, with further costs stemming from the necessary purchase of furniture and cages, Jacobs said. The project is township funded. Though work was originally slated to begin last spring, changes to the plans delayed the process. Old Bridge police Lt. Colleen McNamara, who supervises the no-kill animal shelter and serves as an animal control officer in town, suggested that the scope of the project be expanded. Initial plans called for a 700- foot expansion of the shelter.With the new plans, 1,186 square feet will be added to the facility, bringing it to double its original size. The expansion will allow for cats and dogs to be housed in separate areas, and a new adoption showroom will give people and potential pets the chance to interact and get to know one another. This roomwill be visible through a glass wall from a foyer at the main entrance. A new office area is included in the plans, along with two isolation areas - one for cats and the other for dogs, with separate ventilation systems, McNamara said. The existing office area will become a fully equipped work area, and there will also be a storage area upstairs.Among the other highlights are an outdoor run area for the animals, and the fact that the shelter will have three entrances - one for visitors, one for workers and an isolated one for sick animals. "There are a lot of windows, high ceilings, all things that animal lovers want to see,"McNamara said. "So it won't be such a negative experience for animals to be stuck inside a kennel." A problem with the existing shelter is that cats and dogs are housed in the same area. Aside from the fact that this goes against state regulations, it also puts the cats under stress due to dogs barking at them from opposite cages,McNamara has said. Although the staff at the shelter hung shower curtains between the cat and dog cages as a temporary fix, separating them is the only real solution. When the work is completed, the existing kennel area will house only dogs. Cats will have large play cages, along with a one-and-a-half-story sunlit cage for showcasing felines that are ready for adoption. According to McNamara, the overall goal is to give the shelter a less institutional feel, and make it more conducive to adoption. "I'm very excited about the project," she said. "It will be something that Old Bridge can be proud of, and that other communities are going to see and ask, 'Why don't we have this?'" The project will be the first upgrade to the facility since it opened in the late 1970s, according to Phillips. The bid process for the project was conducted twice, becauseMcNamara saw the bids submitted in the first round as being too high in cost, Jacobs said. Though a repeat of the process created some delay, the township obtained a better price for the work. "Lt.McNamara takes a very special interest in this," Phillips said. "She's not just an animal control officer, she's also an astute businesswoman." McNamara said it boded well for the township to have the project re-bid. "We ended up with a lower price, better bids andmore qualified bidders," she said. The founding members of the Friends of Old Bridge Animal Shelter (FOOBAS) gathered 900 signatures on a petition in support of expediting the expansion process last year. An October letter to the editor printed in the Suburban urged the public to contact town officials and express support for the project's speedy commencement. Jacobs said preliminary work on projects like the animal shelter expansion take more time than members of the public might realize, as they involve a number of lengthy steps. McNamara stressed that Old Bridge is fortunate to have its own animal shelter, and that it is the only town in the area that does. All towns are required to have animal control officers and provide the same services, but other towns do so by using private kennels. This, she said, is a risk, considering the limited control towns have over the prices and operations, and the possibility that the private vendors will eventually close or sell their property. "This is the only township-run facility of its kind in the area, and for the mayor and council to see fit to put money into the facility is very positive for animal lovers and for the township," McNamara said. 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. 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. 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 (732) 721-5600, ext. 6300.