If you love animals as I do, you will want to know about the animal shelters in Bergen County. There is nothing like adopting an animal from a shelter, and making a friend for life.
The largest animal shelter in Bergen County is the Bergen County Animal Shelter in Teterboro. This is a county run shelter, and they have the animal control contract for 51 towns in Bergen County. They have lots of services for animal lovers, including spay and neuter, dog training, and a rabies clinic. The respond to calls for distressed, sick or trapped wildlife, and loan traps for catching feral cats. Some feral kittens will be adopted out if they are healthy enough – and they are spayed and neutered right away.
FOCAS is a local humane society which sponsors adoptions through local pet stores, animal hospitals, and other businesses. They are part of the network of local shelters found at www.petfinder.org. Just type in a search for local shelters in New Jersey, and you will find many opportunities to adopt a dog, cat, or sometimes a rabbit or other domesticated animal. FOCAS is a 501 (c) (3) organization, like many of the other private shelters featured at petfinder.
The only No Kill animal shelter in New Jersey is the non profit Ramapo-Bergen Animal Refuge in Oakland. Animals who find refuge there can come for an open ended stay until the right home is found for them. They will only put down an animal that is severely sick or injured. They sometimes take animals from other shelters – and not just from New Jersey – they have received animals from other states as well. This is a great shelter for animal rehabilitation.
The largest No-Kill animal shelter is The North Shore Animal League, in Port Washington, NY. Recently, they rescued 132 dogs from a puppy mill in Virginia that was shut down after a five month investigation by the Humane Society. My boxer Samantha is from a puppy mill. When she was originally purchased from a pet store by a young man who was not ready for the responsibilities of caring for a dog, she had a kennel cough and was seriously underweight. These animals are so stressed, and although purebred, are given very little in the way of a good start in life. North Shore will be posting the adoptable purebred dogs on their website within a day or two.