South Orange, Maplewood Look To Bloomfield For Animal Control

BLOOMFIELD, NJ — Bloomfield is getting ready to begin providing animal control services for its Essex County neighbors of South Orange and Maplewood after last fall’s stunning announcement from St. Hubert's Animal Welfare Center.

Bloomfield Township Attorney Michael Parlavecchio asked the town council to approve a pair of interlocal agreements involving animal control during their Jan. 9 meeting.

The agreements – which the Bloomfield council gave a thumbs up – take place just months after the Madison-based nonprofit announced it would cease providing animal control services to 19 municipalities at the end of the year, including Maplewood and South Orange. Read More: Shelter To End Its Animal Control Services In Madison

Now, South Orange and Maplewood are reaching out to Bloomfield for a stopgap solution, Parlavecchio said.

“Both of those communities have asked Bloomfield to provide temporary animal control services for them for a period of six months,” Parlavecchio said. “For years, they had both contracted with a private entity – St. Hubert’s in Madison – [but] St. Hubert’s no longer provides those services, so those two towns are in a bit of a bind.”

Parlavecchio said the two municipalities will pay Bloomfield a monthly fee for the duration of the agreements.

“At the end of those six months or during the course of it, I assume we will all reassess to see if this is something that can go on for a longer period,” Parlavecchio said.

He noted that Bloomfield already provides animal control services to several other nearby communities, and said it “has the capacity to take on these two smaller towns.”

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