Adoption Fees To Be Waived As Burlington County Animal Shelter Celebrates Expansion

Adoption fees at the Burlington County Animal Shelter in Westampton will be waived this weekend in celebration of the completion of the shelter’s expansion project, county officials announced on Monday.

A ribbon-cutting ceremony at the shelter, located at 35 Academy Drive in Westampton, will be held at 11:30 a.m. on Saturday, Oct. 21. Immediately following the ribbon cutting, the Burlington County Animal Shelter will be hosting a “Clear the Shelter Weekend.”

Adoption fees for all of the animals at the shelter will be waived on Saturday, Oct. 21, and Sunday, Oct. 22, for approved applicants. Currently, there are 115 animals in the shelter available for adoption.

“The Freeholder Board and I are thrilled to unveil the new expansion at the Burlington County Animal Shelter to the community,” Burlington County Freeholder Director Bruce Garganio said. “We hope everyone will come out to the ribbon cutting and return home with a new family member.”

The expansion project took less than a year. Additions include new electronic displays, three new community cat rooms that will hold up to 10 felines and allow them to get out of their cages and interact with one another, upgrades to the dog runs, and a pet drop-off office.

Prospective adopters will be able to meet animals in separate "greeting rooms," meant to reduce the stress level for animals, giving visitors a more personal interaction.

“The modern upgrades we have done offer a more comfortable experience for our residents and will lead to more adoptions, meeting our ongoing goal of finding forever homes for all of the wonderful cats and dogs in our shelter,” Garganio said. “As Freeholder Director, and a pet owner myself, I am proud to be part of a community that does so much for its animals.”

The past two months have been very eventful at the Burlington County Animal Shelter. The shelter participated in national recovery efforts by taking in shelter dogs from Texas and Puerto Rico that had been displaced by Hurricanes Harvey and Maria, respectively.

“This was first time the county acted as a relief shelter for animals displaced from disaster zones,” Garganio said. “Thanks to our devoted staff, volunteers, and the overwhelming support of our animal community, we were able to bring in 10 shelter dogs from Texas and 23 shelter dogs from Puerto Rico.”

A record-breaking 2,751 animals adopted or rescued at the shelter last year, according to county officials.
“By expanding the shelter, we can continue this trend and better serve the residents, animals, and the hard-working shelter staff and volunteers of Burlington County,” Garganio said.

The shelter is open noon to 4 p.m. every day except Thursday, when it is open noon to 7 p.m. For more information, call 609-265–5073 or visit http://www.co.burlington.nj.us/168/Animal-Shelter.

Patch file photo