After Saying Pet Surrenders Are 'Off The Charts,' Hudson County Shelter Is Full

HUDSON COUNTY, NJ — Across the country, shelters have been finding animals with notes on their collar, saying they were loved but their owners couldn't afford to keep them. Closer to home, shelters in Hudson and Essex counties have experienced a spike in owners surrendering their pets.

"Owner surrenders are off the charts," said the Liberty Humane Society in a message to neighbors three weeks ago. "We are receiving more requests to re-home pets than we have ever experienced before. These surrenders aren't just unsocialized puppies or difficult cases like you might expect – they are senior animals who've been in a home for all their lives; animals in need of medical intervention; and animals who just simply aren't wanted any longer. "

"Our shelter staff is struggling to keep up and our space and resources are limited," they added.

On Monday, the situation became more dire, they said, and they ran out of room to take any more large dogs.

"We have not had to euthanize any animals due to capacity in more than eight years and we are hoping to not be put into that heartbreaking position," they said in a plea to supporters. "We urgently need your help to transition large dogs out of the shelter."

How To Help

The LHS said that there are many ways to help:

• Adopt a big dog at NO COST. We're waiving our adoption fees for all dogs 35lbs+. Browse our currently available dogs and save a life.
• Volunteer to foster. Foster homes are essential for helping address urgent needs. Sign up by filling out a foster application.
• Rescues that can take a large dog, please email lhs@libertyhumane.org.
• Share this email and our social posts.
• You can view animals up for adoption on the LHS site; see the link below.

Other Ways To Help

The LHS also suggested:

Check in on neighbors and family members with pets who may be struggling. "You can help prevent the problem of surrendering before it even starts by checking in on family, friends, and neighbors and offering support where possible."

Volunteer to help/become a foster. Volunteer drivers, foster homes, and active LHS advocates are essential for helping address urgent needs. Consider signing up to be a transport volunteer or fill out a foster application.

Shop our wishlists. Our wishlists are constantly updated with the essential items we need to help care for all animals that enter our shelter. You can donate directly with just a few clicks.

Be Aware and Act Sustainably. There are so many pets in need on the planet already, and there aren’t enough resources to support them. Please always consider adoption rather than causing a new animal to be born, and spay/neuter your own pets.

Find out more or donate here: https://www.libertyhumane.org/

The Liberty Humane Society is located at 235 Jersey City Blvd, Jersey City.