Monthly Archives: May 2013

NJ Animal control officers on trial for illegal cat killings

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Earlier this year, we wrote about the importance of getting New Jersey animal control officers, local health department officials, pounds and animal shelters to abide by the 7-day holding period for stray animals.  See “New Jersey– enforce the mandatory 7-day holding period for stray animals.”

In New Jersey, stray animals must be held for at least seven days before they can be killed or offered for adoption.  N.J.S.A. 4:19-15.16.  The so-called seven-day holding period for gives families the opportunity to reclaim lost pets. It also protects animals from being needlessly killed by municipalities, pounds and shelters that do not want to be bothered with, or feel they do not have the time or space for, a stray animal.  Unfortunately, too many times this law is just plain ignored.

Now, in an important case that should be followed, Manalapan Township NJ animal control officers Sharon Gaboff, John Domic and Cherlann Ambrose, and Freehold health officer Julie Kramer are on trial for allegedly killing cats before the 7-day holding period.

The case is being heard in Manalapan Township Municipal Court.

We hope that as a result of the case, the law will be followed by everyone who handles animals!

For details about the case see:

http://www.newjerseynewsroom.com/state/animal-control-officers-acos-on-trial-for-illegal-cat-killings

 

NJSPCA– stop making it harder for citizens to form local SPCA chapters!

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Apparently, the New Jersey Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals is at it again.

It wasn’t enough that it refused for 4 years to review the applications of former animal cruelty enforcement officers and animal protection advocates who are seeking permission to form local SPCA chapters…

It wasn’t enough that it forced these interested citizens to bring a lawsuit in order to get a Final Court Order which has directed the NJSPCA to adopt procedures for the review of county chapter applications, so the citizens can get decisions on their applications…

The NJSPCA has now released draft procedures that are so draconian as to outright discourage citizens from applying to form local SPCA chapters.  This is wrong!

Under draft procedures approved by committee, but not yet adopted by the full NJSPCA board, the SPCA would require that before getting SPCA approval to form a chapter, interested parties for each chapter would have to meet stiff requirements including the following:

  • raising tens of thousands of dollars in donations,
  • paying thousands in application fees,
  • obtaining millions of dollars in liability insurance,
  • providing social security numbers for themselves and the people who live with them,
  • listing all animals they own,
  • listing the breeds of the animals they own,
  • providing vet records for their animals the past 3 years,
  • requiring board members to perform law enforcement whether they want to or not; etc.

The NJSPCA should stop making it harder and harder to form local chapters.  The NJSPCA needs to stop its petty “turf games” and its selfish pursuit of all fees and donations for itself at all costs.  Let people get going to form local chapters in their communities so they can get to work fighting cruelty and helping animals!

We have obtained a copy of the press release providing further details; see below:

Former animal cruelty enforcement officers stunned

by proposed NJSPCA procedures that would

discourage citizens from applying to form local SPCA chapters

New Brunswick, NJ.   May 2, 2013

Former animal cruelty enforcement officers and animal protection advocates, who have been trying for four years to get the NJSCPA to grant them approval to form local chapters in Camden, Ocean and Mercer counties, say they are stunned by new draft procedures recently released by the NJSPCA that would make it extremely difficult for anyone to form a new chapter.

The state statute requires the SPCA to “facilitate the formation of county SPCA chapters where none exist.”  None have existed for years in many counties in the state, including Camden Ocean, and Mercer.

In draft procedures approved by committee, but not yet adopted by the full NJSPCA board, the SPCA would require that before getting SPCA approval to form a chapter,  interested parties for each chapter, would have to meet stiff requirements including the following:

  • Raising $10,000 in donations before they can even apply for approval to form a county chapter;
  • Paying a $3,000 application fee;
  • Showing proof of $5M general insurance policy;
  • Identifying 10 board members;
  • Providing the social security number for each board member and the social security number for each person who lives with them;
  • Listing all the animals that they own;
  • Listing the breeds of all animals they own;
  • Providing the veterinary records for the past 3 years for all animals they own;
  • Requiring the local chapter to surrender all its assets of and donations raised by the local chapter if the NJSPCA decides to terminate its charter; and
  • Requiring 6 of the board members to complete intensive law enforcement training within six months of formation – an expensive and time-consuming process – and one that is totally inappropriate when most volunteers may not be suited to performing law enforcement board but participate constructively by organizing, doing fundraising, making phone calls, helping animals find good homes for adoption, or hosting bake sales.

Today, representatives of the approximately three dozen individuals who want to form charters in these counties wrote directly to NJSPCA board members asking them not to adopt the draft procedures, and to instead stop creating delays and new impediments, and finally give them the approval to move ahead to start forming these chapters so they can help animals.

John Micklewright, a Certified Animal Cruelty Investigator, and member of the Camden group, said “state statute requires the board to ‘facilitate’ the formation of local chapters but the SPCA seems to purposely come up with new ways to frustrate the formation of chapters.”

Jane Donoghue, a former Commissioned Humane Law Enforcement Officer with the NJSPCA, and member of the group from Ocean, said: “Animals in these counties continue to suffer because the NJSPCA does not have enough law enforcement  officers to handle cruelty calls.”

Kristine Schmidt, a volunteer for Pet Rescue of Mercer, and member of the Mercer group, said: “The last time that local chapters were approved back in 2008, the NJSPCA imposed none of these impediments.  In fact, the NJSPCA waived initial application fees, waived any requirement to do law enforcement for 6 years, gave applicants a loan, and told them that the NJSPCA would give them half of their revenue for two years so they could get on their feet.”  Said Schmidt, “That’s how you ‘facilitate’ the formation of new County chapters and that’s what the SPCA should do here.”

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FOR FURTHER INFORMATION:

Dante Di Pirro, Esq.

Law Office of Dante Di Pirro

77 Snydertown Road

Hopewell, NJ 08525

609-429-0779

dante.dipirro@gmail.com