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NJ animal rescues are at capacity and seeking volunteers
Animal rescues are in desperate need, as they are seeing more and more pets coming in and they don’t have enough staff or fosters to keep up.
BLACKWOOD, N.J. - Animal rescues are in desperate need, as, they say, they are seeing more and more pets coming in and they don’t have enough staff or fosters to keep up.
Across New Jersey, adoption centers are at capacity, including the Homeward Bound Adoption Center in Blackwood. Every cat, kitten, dog and puppy needs a home.
"He knows sit, he clearly knows stay. He knows down. Will you down? Good boy!" Handsome Yeadon has gone without a forever home for nearly a year. He’s one of hundreds of dogs along with just as many cats at Homeward Bound, looking for a home.
The facility is in desperate need of, not only permanent adoptions, but also badly needed foster homes to free up space in their shelter.
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"We really need fosters. We have a lot of fosters, but even the current amount that we have is just, unfortunately, not enough," Program Manager Shawna Donahue stated. Donahue says the sheer number of animals coming into their facility is overwhelming the staff.
"Currently? We have over 300 cats in the building. For dogs, we have about 125," Donahue remarked.
"And that equates to how many empty beds available?" asked FOX 29’s Marcus Espinoza.
"Right now, we came in this morning, we had zero open kennels. Every single dog kennel is full," Donahue replied.
Fostering a pet can do more than provide comfort, Shawna says. It can save a life. "So, when I took him home, he was skin and bones, eyes were sealed shut. Now, they’re big and open and he’s gaining weight and that’s the magic of foster care."
She adds fostering does not always mean a long-term commitment. Any amount of care can help tremendously. "If you’re home and boring, like me, we encourage you to come here and take home an animal."
Anyone interested in either adopting an animal or becoming a foster can find information on how to do so on Homeward Bound's website.