In what may be another sign of the tough economic times, a number of cats have been dropped off outside the Secaucus Animal Hospital at 1520 Paterson Plank Road. A total of nine cats were dropped off on three different occasions – each time, the cats were left in new carrying cases, and each time the cats were left when the hospital was open. In one instance, the cats were even left with toys in their carrying cases.
The first cat-filled crate left at the hospital’s door, on Oct. 11, had six kittens, according to Dr. James Hatch. Next, on Oct. 26, an adult and kitten were left together. Most recently, on Nov. 2, an adult male cat was left in a carrying case by himself.
“They’re all domesticated cats and kittens,” said Hatch, who owns the private Secaucus Animal Hospital. “They’re not feral. They’ve been handled. They’re not starved. Somebody’s clearly been feeding them.”
“You can get jail time or a fine of up to $1,000 for doing that.” – Ed McClure
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“Somebody called up recently, didn’t give their name, and said, ‘Oh, you’re not a shelter,’ ” Hatch recalled. “Our receptionist said, ‘No, we’re a private hospital.’ And they just hung up.”
About a week after this phone call, a cat was left in a carrying case outside the Secaucus Animal shelter, located at 525 Meadowlands Parkway.
“We think it’s the same person,” Hatch said.
At least two trends – one local, the other national – might be contributing to the recent “cat dumping” problem.
First, Secaucus has witnessed an explosion in its cat population this year.
“We’ve seen more kittens here this year than in any other year that any of us can remember,” said Hatch. “Then, throw in the bad economy, and you probably have even more cats that were dumped, tossed outside, or taken to shelters this year than in the past.”
What to do
So, what should residents do with unwanted animals?
If there’s a homeless animal wandering about the community, Ed McClure, an animal control warden at the Secaucus Animal Shelter, recommends calling the local authorities.
“The best thing to do is to call the local Health Department or Police Department and let them handle it,” McClure said. “Because, you don’t know whether that animal is feral or has rabies, or if it will bite or scratch. So, in the case of an animal that’s just wandering around, let the authorities deal with it.”
Secaucus Animal Control, the Secaucus Police Department, and the Secaucus Animal Shelter deal with stray animals on a case-by-case basis, McClure said, adding, “There’s no blanket policy on how to handle such animals.”
Some stray animals are captured and released elsewhere, others are caught and taken to the shelter, and others are allowed to remain where they’re found.
He admitted the situation is more difficult if a family needs to get rid of a domesticated pet.
Ideally, McClure said, the animal should be turned over to a local animal shelter.
“We evaluate each animal and each situation individually,” he said. But the shelter is often overcrowded and can’t accommodate any additional animals. So, McClure said that shelter workers will gently encourage pet owners “to be proactive and take responsibility for finding other solutions.”
Other solutions may include asking a friend or family member to babysit the pet temporarily or giving or selling the animal to a new owner. And, of course, depending on the situation and space availability, the shelter may take in the animal.
“But people need to know that just dumping the animal outside a shelter door, or outside the hospital, isn’t an option,” McClure said. “You can get jail time or a fine of up to $1,000 for doing that.”
As if that weren’t enough of a deterrent, Hatch said the Secaucus Animal Hospital is planning to install surveillance cameras to catch any animal dumpers in the future.
Adoption an option
And what happened to the nine cats dropped off at the Secaucus Animal Hospital?
Hatch reports that all six kittens were successfully adopted. The remaining three cats were still at the hospital last week and are available for adoption.
E-mail E. Assata Wright at awright@hudsonreporter.com.