TOMS RIVER – Concerned that the Toms River Animal Shelter will be shut down, residents are staging a rally before a Township Council meeting tonight.
The rally, hosted by NJ Animal Save Movement, will begin at 5:30 p.m. downtown by the Town Hall at 33 Washington Street. People are invited to come out and bring signs. The meeting begins at 7 p.m.
It is unknown if the animal shelter will be discussed at the meeting because the agenda hasn’t been posted yet.
Although Mayor Daniel Rodrick said that the shelter is not going to close, he has made several changes in operation that have caused people to believe otherwise.
On January 12, the shelter was ordered to deflect any animals being brought in by the public and send them directly to the county shelter. Employees were ordered not to tell the public that this was being done, a source said.
Rodrick also changed the hours of the shelter, making them open later so that people would be able to come after work to adopt. He also took away the requirement of needing to make an appointment. He said these two things hindered people from adopting.
At a recent council meeting, all fees were to be waived, so that the animals would be given out for free. Animal supporters were worried that this will attract hoarders and other people who don’t have the animals’ best interests in mind.
After more than a month of no more animals being brought in, and aggressive measures to place animals with adopters, there are far fewer animals in the shelter.
Additionally, the town posted a contract online looking for bidders for animal control companies. Residents have seen this as the writing on the wall that the facility will close, and that a third party company will take over for the duties of taking unwanted animals and bringing them directly to the county.
“Mayor Dan Rodrick has no plans to close the shelter and it will not be closed,” a township press release stated at the end of January.
