Montclair Isn't Planning To Close Animal Shelter, Officials Say

MONTCLAIR, NJ -- There are no plans to close the Montclair Township Animal Shelter. That's the message from officials this week as questions about the future of the municipally run shelter continue to swirl online.

Montclair town officials released the following statement about the shelter on Monday:

"We understand that residents may have heard rumors about potential plans to close the animal shelter. The township and council want to remind and reassure the community that there are absolutely no plans to close the animal shelter. There have been no discussions or plans of any kind to sell or develop the property."

Officials also said they are reconsidering a recent decision to stop accepting "transfers" of dogs and cats from other shelters that are struggling with space issues.

"The township is also working closely with the shelter to evaluate the transfer program and how it can be efficiently reinstated," the statement said.

"The animal shelter plays a vital role in our community and offers invaluable services to our town," officials added.

Monday's message isn't the first time that Montclair officials have gone on record about the future of the shelter.

In December, township manager Michael Lapolla posted a similar advisory on the municipal website. It read:

"Yesterday, a former resident of Montclair posted on Facebook that 'the word is' that I was planning to close the animal shelter and that the building would be sold to a developer. As a result of this post, there has been a frenzy of discussion claiming that this is actually going to happen. None of this is true. There is no plan to close the shelter. There are no plans, discussions, or conversations about selling the building. There have been no meetings, discussions, or any other type of communication with any developers regarding the property."

The Montclair Township Animal Shelter is located at 77 North Willow Street. Learn more about how to adopt a dog or cat, or donate to the shelter here.

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