Essex County Animal Shelter: Should Bonded Pairs Be Separated?

ESSEX COUNTY, NJ — A New Jersey animal shelter recently shared an ethical head-scratcher that many rescue groups face daily: should “bonded pairs” of animals be separated if an adopter only wants one of them?

The Associated Humane Popcorn Park Shelter, which maintains the largest animal shelter in Essex County in Newark, posted the following message on its Facebook page Thursday:

“We were asked recently if we would separate our bonded pair of beautiful girls, Stella and Bella, by someone that only wanted to adopt one of them. The ‘respectful request’ became respectfully irate when we explained that in our experience and opinion, when a bonded pair has already suffered the trauma of losing their home and family, we would never add to that suffering by taking away their best friend. We stick by our policy on this but would love to know what you all think about this topic?”

Hundreds of comments in favor of the shelter’s policy followed.

• “If a person truly cares about a dog they will want what is best for the dog. It only makes sense to keep them together. It is the right and loving thing to do. Any time I see a post about bonded dogs I thank that shelter/rescue for recognizing and caring about their needs.”
• “Wholeheartedly agree, it's like separating siblings that are in an orphanage.”
• “I agree. When my sister moved out of our apartment and took her cat, my cat was never the same… Keep them together.”

HARD CHOICES

The choice to keep bonded pairs united would be easier if not for the crushing numbers that most New Jersey animal shelters face.

In total, New Jersey’s 2015 intake and disposition stats included:

• 80,922 impounded animals
• 38,948 adopted animals
• 17,157 euthanized animals

More dogs were killed in Essex County animal shelters during 2015 than anywhere else in New Jersey, according to state statistics.

In Essex County, shelters euthanized 614 dogs in 2015, almost twice the number of canines than the next-highest county, Mercer, which euthanized 328 dogs. In addition, Essex County shelters euthanized 1,524 cats, the second-highest total in the state next to Gloucester County, which euthanized 1,784.

• See related article: Essex County Led N.J. In Euthanized Dogs For 2015

READER POLL

What do you think? Should bonded pairs be separated if an adopter only wants one animal? Take the Patch reader poll below.

&lt;a href="<a href="http://polldaddy.co<span">http://polldaddy.co<span< a=""> id="selection-marker-1" class="redactor-selection-marker">m/poll/9634842/"&gt;Should bonded pairs be separated if an adopter only wants one animal?&lt;/a&</span<></a>;gt;&amp;lt;/span&amp;lt;&amp;gt;&amp;lt;/a&amp;gt;

THE BOND OF FRIENDSHIP

Friendship isn’t a gift exclusive to humans, it seems. Check out some stories about bonded pairs of animals below (click headline to read).

Brother and Sister Felines Reunited

Montclair Animal Shelter manages to adopt out sibling pair of cats together.

Hudson County Dogs Survive Blizzard, Gunshots

The two dogs survived a blizzard and gunshots together in Liberty State Park.

Caldwell Dogs Must Be Out By Thanksgiving

How does it feel to be separated from an old friend? A pair of Essex County dogs may be about to learn the sad answer to that question.

Mother-Daughter Cats Need a Loving Home

This beautiful, bonded pair has weathered the storm.

Photo: Flickr Commons

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