Puppy Or Pit Bull? N.J. Animal Shelter Talks Honestly About 'Clear The Shelters' and Adopting Locally

HUDSON COUNTY, NJ — Would you rather have a new puppy or a 40-pound “pit bull” mix?

That decision making process is one reason why the July 23 “Clear The Shelters adoption” event – an annual national campaign to reduce the number of animals in caregivers’ custody - didn’t live up to expectations in Hudson County this year, a local animal shelter claims.

Earlier this month, the Liberty Humane Society – which services Hoboken and Jersey City – posted a refreshingly honest assessment about the 2016 Clear The Shelters event and the effects of importing puppies and kittens for adoption from non-local sources.

Executive Director Irene Borngraeber wrote a message thanking local volunteers for helping the shelter during this year’s event, which she said was “incredibly successful” in 2015. However, Borngraeber said that LHS’s decision to only waive fees on some of the shelter’s less-in-demand animals – as opposed to some other shelters which offered free puppies and kittens – put a damper on their 2016 adoption numbers.

“Last year we waived fees on dogs over 40 pounds and cats over four month and were able to place 17 dogs and 22 cats into new homes,” Borngraeber stated. “This year, we did exactly the same thing but we weren’t so successful.”

Borngraeber continued:

“Many things in animal welfare are out of [our] control. We don’t control the numbers or types of animals who come through our doors each day, stigmas related to ‘pit bull-type dogs’ or the policies of other animal welfare organizations... Last year, LHS was one of the only shelters in NJ participating in this new event. We waived fees on the animals who were the most vulnerable and least likely to get adopted quickly, because we know that these are the animals who need the most exposure in order to find someone willing to take them home. We drew a crowd, and the people who came to LHS to adopt a pet naturally chose to focus on the animal who were available that day without a fee.”

Borngraeber added:

“This year there were many more NJ shelters who participated in this adoption event. Of those shelters, several offered all the animals in their facilities, including puppies and kittens, for adoption at no fee. So this year, when people looking to adopt researched their options, they made a different choice. They didn’t come to LHS to adopt a 40-pound adult dog. They went somewhere else for a free puppy. It was basic supply and demand… I’m not going to lie, that hurts… LHS chooses to focus on these community animals first. We do not import puppies and kittens because we believe that they lessen the value of our local pets. But that means our job is just that much harder.”

She concluded:

“Everything you do to spread the word about local adoption makes a difference. Every conversation you have about why breed or weight restrictions are outdated matters. Every time you publicly express your support for local adoption you are a force for change.”

Animal welfare group NJ Animal Observer applauded the “honesty” of LHS’ statement.

“Liberty Humane Society's executive director's honest assessment about the decreased number of adoptions at the year's Clear the Shelters event is refreshing,” the group wrote. “At most shelters, the executive director would not even bring this topic up. While I do think there are things Liberty Humane Society can do to improve its adoption numbers at the Clear the Shelters event, I do agree that other shelters offering transported puppies at heavily discounted or no adoption fees hurt Liberty Humane Society's efforts to adopt out many larger dogs, particularly pit bull-like dogs. More shelters should start having these honest conversations with the public as it builds trust and support.”

Photo: Jonathan Kriz, Flickr Commons

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