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A no kill shelter in New Jersey announced on Saturday they they were closing and wanted to find homes for more than 80 cats and dogs by December 31. The community responded, and all of the animals have been adopted.
The Sayreville Pat Adoption Center of Sayreville, New Jersey has been a much appreciated part of the community for several years, providing a no kill safety net for the area’s homeless pets. The downturn in the economy and the loss of town contracts due to philosophical differences led to financial difficulties that threatened continuation of the shelter’s operations in 2011. Donations from the community kept the shelter running, but in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy, the director made the difficult decision to close down. While the hurricane was not directly responsible for the closing, the strain and hardship it placed on the community could only have made matters worse.
The closing was announced last Saturday, December 1. “It is with heavy hearts that we announce the closing of Sayreville Pet Adoption Center effective December 31, 2012. Unfortunately like so many others we have fallen victim to the economy. Providing and caring for over 120 animals on a daily basis is no easy task. We have always strived to provide a clean and safe facility along with the best veterinary care for our shelter pets in a warm and nurturing environment. This endeavor has been a joy and a labor of love.”
We covered the announcement in our story from December 1, Well Regarded NJ No Kill Shelter To Close: Surprise Announcement Made Today.
In the wake of the announcement, the animal rescue community shared the news widely on social media, along with photos and links to the adoptable pets. Adoption fees for the animals were waived. This morning, SPAC announced that all 80-plus cats and dogs under the shelter’s care at the beginning of December have been adopted into homes. The animals appear to have been adopted mostly be local residents. Had the animals not been adopted by the end of the month, rescues were in place to take them.
The shelter made this announcement yesterday: “DECEMBER 5, 2012: AS OF TODAY, ALL OF OUR CATS AND DOGS HAVE BEEN ADOPTED. THANK YOU TO EVERYONE WHO STEPPED UP AND GAVE ALL OUR WONDERFUL PETS HOMES. OUR SHELTER WILL NO LONGER BE OPEN TO THE PUBLIC AS OF THURSDAY, DECEMBER 6. YOU CAN STILL REACH US BY PHONE, AND IF BY CHANCE A FEW ANIMALS ARE RETURNED OR LEFT BEHIND AT OUR SHELTER DOOR, WE WILL LET YOU KNOW AND POSSIBLY OPEN BY APPOINTMENT ONLY. OUR PET POSTINGS WILL BE KEPT CURRENT. THANKS AGAIN. PS – to any of you who were misinformed, NOT ONE of these pets were euthanized NOR WERE THEY EVER GOING TO BE EUTHANIZED. We have been a no kill shelter since the day we opened and have remained true to our mission to the very end. Thank you.”
The portion of the announcement stressing that the animals had not been in danger of euthanization was made in response to an unfortunate rumor spread along with a photo indicating that the animals would be euthanized if they were not adopted by the end of December.
The Sayreville Suburban published an informative story on the circumstances surrounding the shelter’s closing today. In that story, shelter director Barbara Keegan indicated that SPAC’s financial difficulties began in 2010, when they cut ties with the towns of Sayreville, South River, Spotswood and Helmetta over a difference in outlook over he practice of TNR. The loss of the contracts with the towns resulted in a drop in revenue for the shelter, which continued to provide the best of care for the animals in its care despite diminished funds. After dropping the municipal contracts, the shelter took in mainly owner surrenders.
The shelter was in danger of closing in December of 2011, but a donation campaign raised the monies for them to continue their operations throughout 2012. “We had a large outpouring of support from all over the place, and that really kept us going through this year,” Keegan is quoted saying the the article. “However, it started to dwindle, and with Hurricane Sandy, we reached a point where we had to face the fact that we couldn’t do it anymore.”
“We were always subsidized by [Sayrebrook Veterinary Hospital], but the economy affected them too,” Keegan said. “It’s a big vicious cycle.”
To read the Sayreville Suburban story in full, click HERE.
SPAC is accepting donations to help them pay off their remaining bills.
The caption to the photo below is representative of local sentiment. People have sent their thanks to SPCA for the work they have done, the animals they’ve helped, and the joy families have known after adopting beloved pets.
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