Animal Shelters Are Hitting Their Breaking Point Across North Jersey

NEW JERSEY — Things are at a “breaking point” at the Associated Humane Societies animal shelter in Newark. And they’re not the only New Jersey shelter that has found itself stretched thin this year – by a longshot.

On Thursday, the nonprofit – which manages the largest network of shelters in the state – put out an urgent call for help at its Newark facility, which sees thousands of dogs and cats pass through its halls every year.

The Associated Humane Societies (AHS) also runs animal shelters in Tinton Falls and Forked River.

Here’s the situation right now in Newark, according to shelter administrators:

“The Associated Humane Societies Newark Shelter is currently facing an unprecedented crisis capacity situation as dogs continue to enter the shelter at an alarming rate. With kennel space now entirely exhausted, we are urgently reaching out to fellow shelters, rescue groups, and the community at large for immediate assistance. AHS has tirelessly served the community for over 100 years. However, the recent surge in incoming dogs has overwhelmed our facilities beyond capacity. Our commitment to providing care, shelter, and a chance for a better life to these animals is unwavering, but we find ourselves at a breaking point.”

The staff at AHS-Newark continued:

“The shelter, which typically houses and cares for hundreds of dogs awaiting adoption, rehabilitation, and loving homes, is now stretched to its limits. Each day, more dogs in desperate need arrive at our doors, and our resources are simply not enough to meet this unprecedented demand.”

According to an Oct. 2 social media post from the nonprofit, the owner surrender waitlist at the shelter is stretching “well into February of 2024,” with more than 125 families looking to surrender their dogs – and “no end in sight.”

“Dogs have been entering the shelter at an alarming rate all summer, between strays and surrendered dogs there's just no room left,” the AHS-Newark branch reported.

Want to help? The AHS said it is “urgently requesting” the support of fosters, adopters and rescue groups until the crisis passes.

“We are reaching out to all organizations with available space, resources, and the capacity to assist in this time of dire need,” administrators said. “Together, we can provide these deserving animals with the care and attention they so desperately require. By opening your heart and home to one of these wonderful animals, you can make a profound difference in their lives and help us continue our mission.”

To learn more about the AHS-Newark shelter, including how to adopt, foster, volunteer or donate, click here. For more information, contact info@ahsppz.org.

It isn’t the first time in recent history that the AHS-Newark has put out a call for help, including multiple calls for aid last year.

• See Related: Newark Animal Shelter 'At Capacity' For Large Dogs – Can You Help?
• See Related: Newark Animal Shelter 'Full To Capacity' For Dogs, Kittens

In April, the shelter reported it was completely overwhelmed by a flurry of new intakes and was in crisis mode.

“So far this year our intake numbers have increased by over 19 percent,” administrators said. “Though we are adopting our more animals than ever before in AHS history, it isn’t enough.”

From April 1 to April 11, a total of 43 dogs came into the AHS-Newark shelter. Meanwhile, only 20 pooches left during that time period: six adoptions, eight returned to owners, and six transferred to other facilities.

“Between lost animals, owner surrenders, cruelty cases and more, our kennels are completely full – although we continue to have new animals arrive daily,” AHS administrators reported.

“It really is a nationwide issue, and the number of stray animals – in addition to those surrendering animals due to financial reasons or they cannot afford to live in pet-friendly housing and are forced to surrender – is rising,” AHS-Newark staff said. “There are a myriad of reasons, but many of them stem back to financial difficulties.”

• See Related: Newark Animal Shelter In 'Crisis Mode' After Deluge Of New Dogs, Cats

STRUGGLING FOR SHELTER IN NEW JERSEY

Other animal shelters in North Jersey have been hitting the same type of wall this year when it comes to space at their facilities, their staffs have reported.

In August, the Bloomfield Animal Shelter also put out a call for help, temporarily putting the brakes on new surrenders because it reached full capacity. The shelter also reported a huge influx of stray dogs and cats in July.

Last month, staff at the Liberty Humane Society in Hudson County reported that owner surrenders have been “off the charts.”

"We are receiving more requests to re-home pets than we have ever experienced before,” the Liberty Humane Society stated. “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.

• See Related: Hudson County Pet Surrenders 'Off The Charts' And Shelter Is Full

Montclair Township Animal Shelter workers and volunteers have also noted that they’ve been dealing with a spike in intakes lately – possibly driven by the high prices of pet services and food, Baristanet reported.

“We’re seeing something we’ve never seen before,” said Liz Morgan, director of the township shelter. “We’re used to kitten season. What’s different this year is we’ve never had this amount of dogs.”

Statistics from the New Jersey Department of Health show that there were 1,526 dogs impounded in Essex County in 2022 – nearly a 20 percent total increase from 2021.

An encouraging number of them – about 54 percent – were either adopted or reclaimed by their owners, data shows. But many others never found the forever home they deserved; 48 dogs were euthanized in Essex County last year.

In Morris County – which saw the largest number of dog intakes in the state last year (3,139 dogs) – 87 dogs were euthanized. Morris County also saw the highest number of cat intakes at 2,902, of which 103 were euthanized.

In Bergen County, which saw the second-largest number of cat intakes at 2,726, data showed that 230 of them were put down. And in Hudson County, where 304 dogs were impounded, 16 were euthanized.

Overall, New Jersey shelters impounded 48,563 dogs and cats last year. Nearly one of 10 were euthanized – but about 67 percent were reclaimed or adopted. See the 2022 shelter-by-shelter data table for facilities in New Jersey here.

• See Related: More NJ Dog Owners Are Choosing Shelters Over Purebreds, Study Says

Send local news tips and correction requests to eric.kiefer@patch.com. Learn more about advertising on Patch here. Find out how to post announcements or events to your local Patch site. Don’t forget to visit the Patch Newark Facebook page.