Furry Friends Seek Homes At Terry's Pet Depot

Those passing by could not help but stop in their tracks and smile as they glanced at Terry’s Pet Depot in Morris Plains on Saturday afternoon.

The friends of Mt. Pleasant Animal Shelter of East Hanover held its monthly animal adoption day in front of the go-to pet establishment.

Volunteers from the shelter stop by on a regular basis to introduce their animals to potential owners, and also to give tips on how to care for them using products that can conveniently be purchased at Terry’s Pet Depot.

“They allow us to come out here with our animals to show them off, send it off to their mailing list, and also we hand out a wish list so people know that there are items that can be purchased at Terry’s that can make a difference in the lives of our dogs and cats,” said Abby Berenbak, outreach coordinator at Mt. Pleasant Animal Shelter.

Sabrina, a 1-year-old Shepherd mix, was the lucky companion to accompany the volunteers for the day.

Mt. Pleasant has been placing thousands of animals into new homes for nearly 40 years. The shelter houses a capacity—of which it usually meets or nears—of up to 80-100 animals at any given time.

Currently, under their wing are 50 to 70 cats and approximately 30 dogs. Mt. Pleasant also runs foster programs to place underage puppies and kittens in homes until they are old enough to be put up for adoption.

Most of their outreach events—including those held at Terry’s—involve a simple process for those looking to adopt.

“They can meet the animals, fill out the pre-adoption application and we’ll go over [the pet’s] history,” Berenbak said, “and then to finalize the adoption, they can go back to the shelter to make sure we do all their paperwork on the computer.”

The animals at Mt. Pleasant are temperament-tested and fully vet-checked. All are up-to-date on vaccinations, micro-chipped and neutered before adoption.

“If it’s the right fit for the family and what they want and we think it’s the right fit for the animal, they can also take them home that day,” Berenbak said.

Jason Forman, a Morristown resident and volunteer at Mt. Pleasant Animal Shelter since 2008, comes to help out at the shelter in his spare time to walk the dogs and take care of the animals.

“It’s all just volunteer work. I have a full-time job,” Forman said, laughing. “I’d love to do this for a living, I love dogs. I love them very much.”

For more information about Mt. Pleasant Animal Shelter, visit its website.