These New Jersey Counties Killed The Most Dogs, Cats Last Year

Nearly one in five dogs and cats that entered a licensed New Jersey animal shelter was killed last year, according to the New Jersey Department of Health (DOH).

The DOH released its annual Animal Intake and Disposition Survey for 2016 this week, a voluntary effort from the state’s licensed animal shelters that chronicles important data such as intakes, euthanasias, adoptions and redemptions.

While there was an encouraging aspect of the 2016 survey – about 50 percent of all impounded dogs and cats were adopted to new homes – about 19 percent of the state’s canines and felines ended up being euthanized last year, the DOH reported.

See the full 2016 survey with county-by-county results here

The euthanasia rate in New Jersey’s animal shelters for 2016 was slightly down from two years ago, when 25 percent of cats and dogs met their end while in a shelter’s custody.

• See related article: One In Four Euthanized At N.J. Animal Shelters During 2014

STATE TOTALS

According to the DOH, New Jersey’s 103 licensed animal shelter facilities compiled the following totals for dogs and cats in 2016:

• Impounded – 82,116
• Redeemed – 12,039
• Adopted – 40,668
• Euthanized – 15,340

EUTHANASIA

Essex County’s licensed shelters led the state in euthanized dogs for the fourth consecutive year with 613. After Essex County, the highest euthanized dog totals came from:

• Mercer – 310
• Camden - 292
• Passaic – 208

In 2016, Gloucester County narrowly edged out Essex for the highest cat euthanasia total with 1,647 killed animals. The next-highest totals of euthanized cats came from:

• Essex – 1,601
• Ocean – 1,413
• Burlington – 1,184
• Atlantic – 1,117
• Cumberland – 1,012

ADOPTIONS

On the adoption front, several counties managed to post four-figure totals for cats and dogs for 2016:

• Bergen – 1,529 adopted cats
• Burlington – 1,944 cats
• Camden – 3,281 dogs, 3,720 cats
• Middlesex – 1,350 cats
• Monmouth – 2,116 dogs, 1,896 cats
• Morris – 1,630 dogs, 1,966 cats
• Ocean – 1,828 cats
• Somerset – 1,176 dogs, 1,447 cats

INTAKES

According to the DOH survey, Camden County may have had the busiest shelters in 2016, logging 10,597 total animal intakes. The counties with the next-highest intake levels included:

• Morris – 8,188 animals
• Monmouth – 5,804
• Essex – 5,802
• Ocean – 5,498

MORE THAN MEETS THE EYE

The DOH cautions that individual county statistics on this report “may not accurately reflect impound rates” because some facilities contract with municipalities in more than one county. Such is the case at the Associated Humane Societies in Newark, which contracts with several towns in Essex and Union counties.

Colin Campbell, a public health veterinarian with the New Jersey Department of Health, previously told a NorthJersey.com reporter that it’s important to remember facilities have different policies for the intake or disposition of animals.

“For example, many urban facilities will offer compassionate euthanasia services while their suburban counterparts may refer euthanasia cases to local veterinarians or animal hospitals, disproportionately affecting kill rates,” Campbell said. “And some shelters will only accept animals that they consider ‘adoptable,’ increasing their adoption rates in comparison to other facilities which accept any animal that comes through their doors.”

Send local news tips and feedback to eric.kiefer@patch.com

Photo: Flickr Commons