Yaede responds
Township officials say 13 dogs have been “humanely put down” at the shelter so far this year, eight being euthanized at the request of dog owners due to their pets’ failing health and five being euthanized due to animal aggression, including dogs that attacked humans.
“To call our Animal Shelter staff ‘innocent animal killers’ is morally reprehensible,” Yaede said Friday in a press statement that blasted the Democrats for playing what she called a “despicable” game of politics
“Since our expansion of the animal shelter, our devoted staff has routinely cared for over 350 shelter dogs each year,” Yaede said. “That is a 40 percent increase in shelter dogs since 2013.”
Yaede noted that the Hamilton Township Animal Shelter, which is only required by state law to keep animals for seven days, will keep shelter animals for years unless they are terminally ill or too aggressive.
“Right now, we have one shelter pet that has remained in our shelter’s care for five years,” Yaede said. “That illustrates how committed our Animal Shelter is to finding
a forever home for every adoptable shelter pet.”
The mayor was referring to a 5-year-old pit bull mix named Brooklyn, who has been at the shelter for most of her life. Yaede previously referred to Brooklyn as a “great dog” when she toured the newly expanded shelter in October 2015.
The township as of Friday was marketing several cats and dogs for adoption, including Brooklyn.
“Let’s find Brooklyn, a long time shelter pet, a forever home!” the township said in an entry posted on HamiltonNJ.com/Pets4Adoption. “Brooklyn is a good dog, she is loyal and dedicated to her owners. She likes to go for walks, car rides, play fetch and makes the cutest faces and head tilts when she hears a dog toy squeaking so we think she would like a home with a fenced in yard, tennis balls, squeak toys and forever parents to throw her toys and take her for car rides and walks.”
Brooklyn is spayed, microchipped and vaccinated, according to the township, which says, “Brooklyn is a member of the ‘only child club’ as she needs a home where she is the only pet so she doesn’t have to Exterior of the Hamilton Township Animal Shelter in 2013.
share your attention.”
Located at 2100 Sylvan Ave., the animal shelter in 2015 got overhauled thanks to a $1.1 million expansion and renovation project that boosted the number of dog kennels from 20 to 36 and doubled the space for stray cats from 25 rooms to 50. The expanded shelter also features a larger animal medical area, two new adoption rooms and a grooming area, officials said.
“Any pet owner that has had to make the very difficult and painful decision to put down their loving pet companion understands that it is a decision that is never made lightly,” Yaede said. “And for the Council Democrats to play politics with terminally ill shelter pets is despicable.”
Instead of conducting a politically motivated investigation, Yaede said the Democrats on Hamilton Council “owe our dedicated Animal Shelter staff a public apology; and that is exactly what they should do at their next council meeting.”