Tag: Animal welfare

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Unsung Heroes at St. Frances Animal Center in Georgetown, South Carolina!

A friend of mine, and the most dedicated animal advocate I’ve ever known, runs this wonderful animal shelter in South Carolina, so I want to give the place a plug!

Saint Frances Animal Center (SFAC) is Georgetown County, SC’s only open-admission animal shelter. Taking in 1,500 homeless cats and dogs each year, they focus on making sure every animal who has been lost, abandoned, abused, or neglected has a happy ending to their story. Saint Frances Animal Center cares for, treats, and rehabilitates every animal that comes there, to help ensure they go on to find loving homes.
In addition, SFAC runs a low-cost veterinary clinic that provides full-service, affordable veterinary care and spay/neuter surgeries for families. They believe the love and joy that pets bring to our lives should not be limited by a family’s income. Before adopting them out, SFAC ensures that all pets are neutered, vaccinated, and healthy, regardless of a family’s financial challenges.
I hope you’ll keep this shelter in mind, and help them out whenever you can! HERE’S THE LINK TO DONATE!
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90 Days in Jail for NJ Animal Killer. Progress, just not enough.

Well, Joseph Russo of Stafford, NJ was sentenced last Friday to three months in jail for killing a would-be therapy dog, Diesel, a three year old Pomerian who was in training to assist a US Navy veteran.  Russo will also be placed on probation for five years, during which he will be prohibited from owning an animal — though he should by rights be prohibited for life in my view. It’s not clear from this article exactly how Russo had abused the pup in a way that led to his death. 

While a year or two in prison would have been more appropriate, it’s still a very successful prosecution  by Ocean County Assistant Prosecutor Kimberly Carr, in accordance with “Patrick’s Law.” The 2013 law, named after an emaciated pit bull who was thrown down a trash chute, increased penalties for abusing, neglecting and torturing animals according to the article.

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Sammy’s Hope in Sayreville Holds Valentine’s Adoption Event

SAMMY’S HOPE HOLDS “SHARE THE LOVE” VALENTINE’S DAY ADOPTION EVENT

$75 Gift Card with all adoptions February 8 – 14

SAYREVILLE NJ: February 4, 2018 – Wanting to spread the Valentine’s Day love to more homeless animals, Sammy’s Hope Animal Welfare & Adoption Center in Sayreville is holding a special adoption event from February 8 through February 14, 2018.  All adopters during that week will receive a $75 gift card to a restaurant of their choice.

According to Dave Gaier of Sammy’s Hope, “In 2018 we want to really increase adoptions of these wonderful, sweet animals. So we’re kicking off the year with an event that we hope will bring more families in to visit our dogs and cats, and give them loving, forever homes.”

For more information, visit Sammy’s Hope Animal Welfare & Adoption Center in Sayreville, 1400 Main Street next to the Sayreville Police Station (GPS Address 989 Main Street). For more information about us and to see our adoptable animals, visit www.sammyshope.org.

About Sammy’s Hope

Sammy’s Hope is a non-profit New Jersey organization whose mission is to care for homeless animals, socialize them, provide for their medical needs, and find them forever homes. The Sammy’s Hope Animal Welfare & Adoption Center in Sayreville, NJ provides specialized, individual care for long-term homeless animals. For more information visit www.sammyshope.org.

 

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New Jersey Court Socks it to now-defunct NJSPCA for OPRA Violations

The NJSPCA, now on its way out the door — thankfully — as a so-called “law enforcement” agency, is now being forrced by a NJ Court to pay up for its long-term attempt to evade its OPRA requirements.  It’s amazing but not surprising that the organization wasted tens of thousands of donor money in such a cynical quest, when it was already apparent it had already lost.  More good reason why this group of “wanna-be cops” is on its way into the dustbin.

Media coverage can be found here!

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NJ Investigation Calls Out “Persistent Waste, Abuse at NJSPCA”

TRENTON NJ, October 20, 2017:  In a news release titled “Persistent Waste, Abuse at NJSPCA,” the State Commission of Investigation says “One of New Jersey’s leading humane organizations remains incapable of adequately fulfilling its core mission – enforcing the State’s animal cruelty laws.”

The release goes on to detail that “the NJSPCA fails to consistently respond to
animal cruelty complaints in a timely manner, spends exorbitant sums on legal billings rather than for direct animal care and remains a haven for “wannabe” cops – some of whom believe they are free to exercise police powers beyond enforcement of the animal cruelty statutes.”

For the full report, titled WOLVES IN SHEEP’S CLOTHING, go here. 

All we can hope for is that the new Governor, whomever he or she is, will actually act on this scathing report and implement its recommendations.  Shame on him or her if they don’t.

Here’s just a smattering of the extensive media coverage:

https://www.njtvonline.org/news/video/report-finds-njspca-dysfunctional-full-wannabe-cops/

http://www.nj.com/opinion/index.ssf/2017/10/its_time_for_a_rethink_of_the_njspca_after_scathin.html

http://www.northjersey.com/story/opinion/editorials/2017/10/23/editorial-state-spca-focused-traffic-not-animals/792231001/

http://www.politico.com/states/new-jersey/story/2017/10/20/njspca-slammed-by-state-investigative-agency-115171

http://www.northjersey.com/story/opinion/editorials/2017/10/23/editorial-state-spca-focused-traffic-not-animals/792231001/

https://articles.nj.com/politics/index.ssf/2017/10/ag_wants_monitor_installed_at_nj_animal_cruelty_ag.amp

http://www.philly.com/philly/blogs/njspotlight/njspotlight_20171023_NJSPCA__More_a_Home_for__Wannabe__Cops_Than_a_Haven_for_Animals_.html

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Is the NJSPCA Really Helping Animals?

There’s a lot of controversy swirling around the New Jersey Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (NJSPCA) these days, much of which began last fall when the organization revealed that it had lost its charitable status for failing to file the required federal form 990, for three years in a row. The leadership of the NJSPCA attributed the problem to an accountant who had a stroke. Having attracted the public’s attention, media outlets, including Walt Kane at News12 New Jersey, and Caren Chesler at NJ Spotlight, have covered these issues extensively.

Below are links to these news stories. You can judge for yourself whether or not this organization, as it is currently constituted, has legitimate oversight by the State of New Jersey, and whether or not it is genuinely serving the cause of animal welfare and fighting animal abuse.

NEWS 12 NJ:

Kane In Your Corner: NJSPCA Under Investigation by state agencies

Kane In Your Corner: NJSPCA law enforcement practices questioned

Kane In Your Corner: NJSPCA no-bid contracts questioned

Kane In Your Corner: NJSCPA refusing to show invoices for legal fees

 

NJ SPOTLIGHT:

Continued Trouble Dogs Troubled Agency Charged with Protecting Animals

Are Guns and Police Cars the Best Way to Prevent Cruelty to Animals in NJ?

Dubious Financial Dealings at NJ Agency Tasked with Protecting Animals

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Hello New Jersey Animal Lovers

This blog is for all New Jerseyites who care about, and care for, animals. It is dedicated to the many wonderful “animal people” I have met over the last five years – Niki Dawson, Elda Hubbard and all my colleagues at Sammy’s Hope, Kristen Padden, Heather Campione, Kathleen Schatzmann, everyone at Best Friends Animal Society and the Animal Legal Defense Fund, The ASPCA Fearful Dog program, Michelle Merletto Cilurso, Tracy Rolph, and dozens of others.

I am not allowing comments because that will lend itself to invective and vitriol which will not help homeless and innocent animals.  I will post news items and on occasion, opinion, that I believe will contribute to improving the welfare of homeless animals.  It will also shine a light on issues and organizations — such as NJSPCA — that need to be examined.

There is no shortage of people in NJ who care about animals.  I meet them every day.  But the laws are too weak, the shelter system is mostly broken, and euthanasia is far too often the fate of innocent animals whose only crime was being brought into this world.

If you care, then DO something: volunteer, donate, foster, attend a fundraiser, but most of all: spay or neuter your  pets and ADOPT from your local shelter.