In the recession, more animals have ended up abandoned and more are awaiting adoption in local facilities. Some towns have started their own adoption locations in the last few years to give their local pets a home.
In North Hudson, husband and wife Miguel Fernandez and Mercedes Garcia of Union City, heads of Tuesday & Lisa Cat Rescue (TLC), say that having a sincere interest in loving an animal – and the time to do so – are really the two main ingredients.
TLC is a small non-profit that works to find and identify stray cats; those that have been lost or abandoned. Most of strays they find come from Union City and the surrounding towns of West New York, Weehawken, and North Bergen, according to Garcia.
“We fully vet any of the friendly cats we encounter and put them up for adoption,” Garcia said. “If someone wants to adopt any of our cats, then we arrange for a meet and greet.”
Last year, 78 cats were adopted from the group’s portion of the “cattery,” a Plexiglas-windowed colony at PetSmart in Secaucus, 400 Mill Creek Drive. TLC has also had dogs and rabbits adopted from them over the years.
One thing that Fernandez said potential pet owners should distinguish is a comfort level between them and the cat. A second thing is a lack of allergies to the animal after close physical contact.
“You might meet your best friend forever.” – Jessica Castellano
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“We want to make sure that the person will love and care for this cat,” Garcia said. “And we want to make sure the cat’s going to a safe house.”
The group’s adoptable animals can be found at tlcrescue.petfinder.org.
A spokeswoman for the Liberty Humane Society, an animal shelter in Jersey City that provides animal control services to Jersey City, Bayonne, and Hoboken, agreed that a small amount of due diligence should be done before taking on a pet.
“Look at your lifestyle and ability to care for an animal,” spokeswoman Jessica Castellano said. “If you’re out 12 hours a day, you may not want to bring home a puppy that needs to be cared for every few hours. Give thought to it first.”
Other things to consider are: what type of animal partner you want (for running with or just snuggling with), what type of housing you have (an apartment or house), how much you travel, and how much financially you can dedicate to them and their care.
“Pets are not free after their adoption; they have a certain amount of costs, including food and doctors visits,” Castellano said.
Castellano noted, “All [pets] come from our neighborhood, our streets, our residents,” she said. “They are from our hometowns. When you adopt locally, you not only support the rehoming of these animals, but you’re also supporting the organizations that do the work in your community.”
Adopting from a group like the Liberty Humane Society has another benefit. One could save the life of an animal.
While Liberty Humane is not classified as a “no-kill” shelter, the people there do everything they can to see that animals are not put to sleep. Though they have no control over how many animals come in from animal control captures, they kennel the dogs and cats for as long as possible or try to find other places for them. Castellano said that Liberty has not had to put down healthy pets for the last year.
Castellano urges residents to come to her organization’s shelter at 235 Jersey City Blvd., Jersey City (across from Liberty Science Center) or contact the group at lhs@libertyhumane.org or (201) 547-4147.
“You might meet your best friend forever,” she said.
Hudson County Animal League
With between 30 and 40 members, the Hudson County Animal League is a small army of volunteers dedicated to animal adoptions.
The group works with Pet Valu, Bayonne Crossing Shopping Center, 307 Bayonne Crossing Way, where their locally rescued cats are featured.
“There are a lot of abandoned cats, strays which were lost, and owner surrenders,” HCAL President Kathleen O’Malley said. “We really don’t have to look far for cats to rehome and rescue.”
The group has been very active over the years, holding Oktoberfest, wine tasting, trick tray, bus ride, and flea market fundraisers.
HCAL usually has a representative at Pet Valu on Saturdays from noon to 3 p.m. Interested parties can go to hcalnj.org to find the group’s Petfinder site or call (201) 200-1008.
The group was scheduled to hold a dual event with the North Shore Animal League at Pet Valu on April 25 and 26 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Cats were to be available both days, with dogs additionally on April 26.
Bayonne Feral Cat Foundation
In Bayonne, another organization, the Bayonne Feral Cat Foundation, coordinates cat adoptions.
Like many other friends of animal groups, the foundation’s cats are housed in private homes until their adoption, according to spokeswoman Kathleen Henderson. Interested parties can call Henderson directly at (201) 823-2363, leave a voicemail at the foundation’s number, (201) 437-3232, or email twiggycat@aol.com.
Group members can also be seen at PetSmart in Secaucus on Saturdays from 4 to 5 p.m.
“All cats have been spayed and neutered, are up to date on shots, and micro-chipped,” Henderson said.
Joseph Passantino may be reached at JoePass@hudsonreporter.com.