Stray animals of Hoboken, say hello to the Liberty Humane Society, Hoboken’s new animal control vendor. After damning pictures of the Associated Humane Society shelter in Newark circulated last year, the city began seeking another contractor for their animal control needs – including picking up stray or lost animals, or coming out to deal with sick or dead wildlife.
At first, Jersey City’s Liberty Humane Society – a volunteer-founded group that takes in Jersey City’s strays at a shelter in Liberty State Park – was hesitant to engage with Hoboken because they have so much space filled up with Jersey City animals, but the two sides finally came to an agreement.
Last year, LHS’s limits were stressed when the SPCA, a county shelter based in Jersey City, was shut down due to health complaints. LHS was forced to take in all of that shelter’s strays.
“ You have to do everything that you can to not kill that animal.” – Janet Russell
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The city’s new $96,000 annual contract allows for 24/7 service and, by most accounts, a more humane approach than AHS in Newark. Liberty boasts an 80 percent “live release” rate, meaning that they are forced to euthanize only 20 percent of their animals, which Liberty Director of Business Development Jane Russell said are mostly either suffering or vicious. Liberty is working to bring that figure closer to 90 percent.
“We are trying everything we can do to adopt every animal,” Russell said. Every adopted animal is spayed or neutered before leaving the facility.
Right now, LHS has more than 200 cats and 60 dogs housed on-site, and another hundred pets in temporary foster homes.
Russell said the economic crunch has led to many pets being surrendered; now even small animals are being turned over because owners cannot take care of them.
Moving out of Newark
The state found several violations at the Newark facility last summer, although a follow-up inspection showed a marked improvement. The city had been contracting with Associated Humane for more than a decade, mostly because other options in the region were extremely limited. In fact, several other cities in Hudson and Essex counties contract with the overcrowded Newark facility. Some towns like Secaucus have started their own small shelter.
Stationed next to the Liberty Science Center in Jersey City, Liberty Humane is housed in a former DPW garage and a mobile trailer. Russell said they intend to add a larger dog kennel to the facility in the future. They have also dedicated a small room to Hoboken animal intake, the “Ho-bark-en Room,” to make recoveries of lost pets quicker and easier for Hoboken’s pet owners.
Other municipalities have approached Liberty for their services and were turned away, according to Liberty’s executive director, Joanna Hopkinson.
“We have taken Hoboken on very thoughtfully,” Hopkinson said. “It was a nice marriage.”
Population control without killing
Hoboken Director of Health and Human Services Leo Pelligrini said response times should improve since Jersey City is closer than Newark.
Pelligrini said he was impressed with the educational mission of Liberty Humane.
“We want to make sure that no animal is euthanized [unnecessarily],” Russell said. They offer $80 spaying and neutering for cats or small dogs, and perform about 90 such surgeries per week.
Their mobile animal control center, “The Neuter Commuter,” which stays on-site except for special events, offers $20 rabies shots, $10 nail clippings, and $35 microchipping services to pet owners.
The center will also team with the city’s Health Department to help register Hoboken’s dogs, which Pelligrini said some residents have not been doing. By law, Hoboken dogs have to be registered after they reach 6 months of age. This allows the city to keep track of them and also insures that pets get the proper shots.
Many times residents avoid registering their animals because of the cost of rabies shots that are required. Rabies shots can cost roughly $150 at a veterinary center, but include a physical exam. Liberty offers a low-cost alternative for $20 (or possibly free for Jersey City and Hoboken residents) with a minimal physical exam.
Liberty will provide Hoboken with monthly data on their services to the city, including whether the animals taken in were adopted or killed.
“You have to do everything that you can to not kill that animal,” Russell said.
In February, three Hoboken residents were mauled in a pit bull attack in an uptown condo building.
Calvin Hale, Liberty’s animal control officer, said he has extensive experience corralling dogs and would be called in to help police if another dog attack is reported. Nearly 75 percent of the facility’s dogs are pit bulls or related breeds.
Hoboken nice match
Russell said Hoboken residents are already heavily involved in their operations: more than one-third of their volunteers come from the mile-square, as do two of seven board members.
They still need volunteers for dog walking and socializing with the cat population. “We welcome warmly any help,” Hopkinson said.
Liberty said their sheltering services do not bring in income for the facility. Most of their revenue comes from their contracts with Jersey City and now Hoboken, as well as fundraising and grants, and some income from adoptions and other services.
Animals up for adoption at LHS and other shelters are frequently posted in the Reporter newspapers under “Pet of the Week,” or you can visit the shelter.
Residents who see a stray, lost, injured, or dead animal can call the police, the Health Department, or LHS. For more information on LHS, call (201) 547-4147 or visit www.libertyhumane.org.
Timothy J. Carroll may be reached at tcarroll@hudsonreporter.com.