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OH, THAT'S, THAT'S UHHUH.MADAM CLERK, PLEASE CALL THE ROLE COMMISSIONER GRAHAM HERE.
AND COMMISSIONER VICE PRESIDENT COOPER HERE.
I WANNA TAKE A MOMENT OF SILENCE BEFORE WE GET INTO OUR MEETING, UM, TO JUST RECOGNIZE, UM, THE PASSING OF DONALD PAYNE, A CONGRESSMAN, THE PASSING OF TONY VOSS, THE MAYOR OF IRVINGTON'S MOTHER.
AND, UM, JUST A MOMENT OF SILENCE FOR A LONG TIME.
UM, CAT ACTIVIST MR. ROCCO OUT OF THE CITY OF NEWARK.
I HAVE BEFORE ME A CERTIFICATION FROM THE CLERK THAT THIS MEETING IS IN COMPLIANCE WITH THE OPEN PUBLIC MEETINGS ACT.
THE PURPOSE OF THIS MEETING IS TO, UM, DISCUSS AND GET AN OVERVIEW OF ALL OF OUR TNVR ACTIVITIES FOR THE CALENDAR YEAR 2023, UM, AND TO DISCUSS ANY, UM, AND ALL EXPENSES RELATED TO THE GRANT FUNDING, AND TO HEAR FROM THE TWO, UM, VENDORS WHO SUPPORT AND ASSIST THE COUNTY WITH IMPLEMENTING THE GOALS AND OBJECTIVES WE, THAT WE HAVE SET ASIDE RELATED TO THIS FUNDING.
SO, I WILL, UM, GO TO THE ADMINISTRATION RIGHT NOW.
UH, THANK YOU, UH, MADAM CHAIR.
UH, HAPPY TO, UH, PRESENT, UH, BOTH OF OUR ORGANIZATIONS, UH, THIS AFTERNOON.
UH, I WON'T STEAL THEIR THUNDER, BUT I WILL SAY THAT, UM, UNDER THE, UM, WITH THE SUPPORT OF THE BOARD AND, UH, UNDER YOUR LEADERSHIP IN PARTICULAR, UH, IN 2020 AND 2021, WE SUPPORTED THIS EFFORT, UH, AT $25,000 A YEAR, UH, 22 AND 23, WE UPPED IT TO, UM, $50,000 A YEAR.
AND, AND THIS YEAR IT IS A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS A YEAR.
SO WE'RE VERY HAPPY WITH THAT.
AND ALL THE ADVOCATES WHO HAVE BEEN SO, UH, REALLY MOTIVATED TO MAKE THIS A POSSIBILITY.
UM, AND THAT I THINK IT'S BORN SOME FRUIT IN TERMS OF, UH, THE PRODUCTION OF THE PROGRAM PROGRAM.
SO I'M GONNA CALL UP, UM, UH, ASSOCIATED HUMANE SOCIETY AND THEN SEE PORT TO TALK ABOUT THEIR ACTIVITIES.
UH, PAM PACIO AND JERRY ROSENTHAL FROM ASSOCIATED HUMANE.
SO ASSOCIATED HUMANE SOCIETY, PLEASE, CAN YOU PLEASE COME TO THE MIC, GIVE US YOUR NAME AND AFFILIATION FOR THE RECORD BEFORE YOU BEGIN, PLEASE.
I'M CEO OF ASSOCIATED HUMANE SOCIETIES.
SO, I, I THOUGHT I'D START OFF, UM, TODAY BE BEFORE WE GET INTO THE TNR, JUST TO BRIEF, UH, COMMISSIONERS ON JUST, UH, ANIMAL CONTROL ISSUES HERE IN, IN THE NEWARK AREA.
WE'VE SEEN AN, AN AMAZING UPTICK IN THE NUMBER OF ANIMALS COMING IN, UH, LAST YEAR.
AND THROUGH OUR NEWARK FACILITY OF 5,000 ANIMALS CAME IN, WE'RE PROBABLY EXPECTING TO SEE THAT THE NUMBER, UH, EXCEEDS 6,000 THIS YEAR.
IF YOU, UH, AND IT'S, UH, SPREAD ACROSS DOGS AND CATS, PRIMARILY THOSE AND DOGS.
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IF YOU COMPARE THE FIRST QUARTER OF 2024 TO THE FIRST QUARTER OF 2023, UH, DOG INTAKE AT OUR FACILITY WAS UP 30%.UH, AND, YOU KNOW, IT'S, IT'S A REFLECTION OF THE ECONOMY.
IT'S A REFLECTION OF THE LACK OF ACCESS TO AFFORDABLE VETERINARY CARE.
UH, AND, UH, IT'S, YOU KNOW, IT'S PUTTING A STRAIN ON ORGANIZATIONS LIKE OURSELVES TO MEET THE NEEDS, YOU KNOW, OF THE COMMUNITY.
SO I JUST WANTED TO PUT THAT OUT THERE AND GIVE YOU A FLAVOR OF WHAT'S OUT THERE.
WE, UH, A HS CONTINUES TO DO WHAT WE'VE ALWAYS DONE SINCE 1906 TO CARE FOR THE ANIMALS.
WE'VE HIRED ADDITIONAL STAFF TO, UH, CARE FOR THEM.
WE'VE, UH, INCREASED OUR FOSTER PROGRAMS, UH, TO DEAL WITH THE NUMBER OF, UH, ANIMALS THAT ARE COMING IN, UM, IN JUST TO GET, WE TALKED, I THINK LAST YEAR.
WE MENTIONED THE, UH, WITH REGARD TO THE CATS, THE NUM, THE PROGRAM THAT WE HAD PUT IN PLACE, UH, TO ESTABLISH PARTNERSHIPS WITH, UH, RESCUES BOTH IN THE STATE, OUTTA STATE, PRIMARILY UP IN NEW ENGLAND LAST YEAR, WE WERE ABLE TO TRANSFER OUT OVER 1600 CATS, UH, UH, TO THEIR, SO, AND WHO WERE ALL ULTIMATELY ADOPTED OUT.
UH, SO THAT JUST GIVES YOU A SORT OF THE MACRO RANGE OF WHAT, UH, WHAT WE'RE DOING.
ADOPTIONS ARE UP, FOSTERS ARE UP.
BUT, UH, WE STRUGGLE WITH THE, THE INTAKE WITH REGARD TO THE TNR PROGRAM THAT ESSEX COUNTY SO GENEROUSLY SUPPORTS.
WE WERE ABLE TO, UH, DOUBLE THE NUMBER OF SURGERIES WE DID IN 2023, UH, OVER 2026.
UH, IT, IT IS, UM, WE WE'RE ON TRACK THIS RIGHT NOW.
WE HAVE BEEN A LITTLE BIT BEHIND BECAUSE ONE OF OUR VETS, UH, HAD TO HAVE WRIST SURGERY.
UH, HOPEFULLY WE WE'RE GONNA HAVE HER BACK INTACT.
WE'VE BEEN ALSO, UH, REACHING OUT, UH, AND PARTNERING WITH SOME OTHER PROGRAMS SO THAT WE, WE EXPECT BY THE END OF 2024 TO, UH, REACH THE SAME GOAL AS WE DID IN LAST YEAR.
AND, UH, OTHER THAN THAT, UH, OPEN TO ANSWERING ANY QUESTIONS YOU MAY HAVE ABOUT THE PROGRAM.
BUT AGAIN, WE'RE APPRECIATIVE OF THE SUPPORT THAT ESSEX COUNTY HAS PROVIDED US.
UH, AND WE CONTINUE TO, YOU KNOW, BE A COMMUNITY PARTNER IN TERMS OF DEALING WITH, UH, THE OVERPOPULATION OF OUTDOOR CATS.
THANK YOU SO MUCH MR. ROSENTHAL, FOR YOUR PRESENTATION.
COMMISSIONER, DO YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS? I JUST WANT, WHERE ARE YOU LOCATED? WE'RE 1 24 EVERGREEN AVENUE, JUST OFF ING HIGH.
SO, UM, AND YOU COULD GIVE HER A TOUR.
UH, I WOULD LOVE TO GIVE YOU A TOUR.
WE'RE IN THE MIDST OF, UH, DOING A RENOVATION, UM, IN ORDER TO STAY IN, UH, UH, BUSINESS, WE'VE DONE IT, WE HAVE TO GO FLOOR BY FLOOR.
BUT THE ULTIMATE GOAL IS TO, UH, BUILD A, UH, AND ESTABLISH A PUBLIC CLINIC, UH, THAT WILL PROVIDE SPAY NEUROSURGERIES VACCINES, UM, DENTAL CLEANINGS, UH, UH, TOTALLY, UH, YOU KNOW, NEEDED BY THE COMMUNITY.
WE HOPE TO HAVE THAT COMPLETED BY THE BE, UH, FIRST QUARTER OF NEXT YEAR.
IN THE MEANTIME, WE, UH, WITH, UH, OTHER GRANTS THAT WE RECEIVE, WE TRY TO DO, UH, WELLNESS DAYS FOR THE CITIZENS OF NEWARK, UH, WHERE WE PROVIDE VACCINES AND, UH, MICROCHIPS.
SO YOU JUST OPEN TO NEWARK OR ANY S COUNTY? COUNTY, UH, ESSEX N BEAN COUNTY.
UH, UH, WE HAVE ANIMAL CONTROL CONTRACTS, UM, IN BOTH THOSE COUNTIES.
M YOU CAN'T ANSWER QUESTIONS YET FROM THE, FROM THE, YOU CAN.
IF YOU WANT ME TO ASK THE QUESTION IN PARTICULAR, WRITE IT DOWN PLEASE AND GIVE IT TO ADAM AND ADAM AND GET IT UP HERE TO US, AND WE'LL ASK QUESTIONS FOR YOU.
UM, QUESTION, I WANNA MAKE SURE I HEARD YOU RIGHT, THAT YOU SAID THAT, UM, BASED UPON SOME CHANGES THAT'S HAPPENING, UM, IN THE ECONOMY, YOU GUYS HAVE SEEN AN INCREASE IN THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE SURRENDERING THEIR PETS.
UM, YOU KNOW, I MEAN, YOU MUST ALL KNOW ANECDOTALLY, YOU KNOW, GO TO THE STORE FOR BASICS.
YOU KNOW, YOU'RE PAYING $5 FOR A GALLON OF MILK.
UM, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE ARE BEING FORCED TO MAKE DIFFICULT DECISIONS ABOUT FAMILY MEMBERS, UH, IN, AND, UM, YOU KNOW, WE PROVIDE FOOD WHEN WE CAN.
UH, WE, UH, WE WERE ABLE TO GET A GRANT, UH, LAST YEAR FROM GREATER GOOD CHARITIES, UH, WHERE WE RECEIVED, UH, 40,000 POUNDS OF FOOD THAT WE, NOT WE USED FOR OURSELVES, BUT WE ALSO, UH, PARTNERED WITH OTHER
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HUMAN FOOD BANKS WHO WERE ABLE TO DISTRIBUTE TO THEIR, UH, PARTICIPANTS.I KNOW LAST YEAR WHEN YOU WERE HERE, WE DISCUSSED, UM, YOUR DESIRE TO START TO PARTNER WITH OTHER COMMUNITY BASED ORGANIZATIONS OR PEOPLE.
UM, HAVE YOU DEVELOPED ANY NEW PARTNERSHIPS FROM SINCE LAST YEAR TO NOW? WELL, WE'VE WORKED WITH, UH, UH, PEOPLE FOR ANIMALS, UH MM-HMM.
UH, THEY WERE THE ONES WHO, UM, UH, WERE IN JERSEY CITY.
THEY HAVE, UM, YOU KNOW, JERSEY CITY HAS SUBSEQUENTLY, UH, TAKEN OVER THE BUILDING, BUT THEY STILL, THEIR MOBILE VAN IS SITUATED OUTSIDE OUR BUILDING, AND THEY ARE PROVIDING TNR SERVICES.
WHAT DAYS DO THEY DO THE TNR SERVICES? IT'S, THEY'RE WORKING ON A SCHEDULE.
IT'S PROBABLY A COUPLE TIMES A MONTH THEY'RE DOING IT.
SO WHEN YOU GET THAT SCHEDULE CONFIRMED, CAN YOU PLEASE SHARE THAT WITH OUR OFFICE? YOU CAN SEND IT TO THE ADMINISTRATION.
APPOINT, SO THAT WE'LL ALL BE ON THE SAME PAGE.
APPOINT YEAH, I GET IT BY APPOINTMENT.
UM, WE CO YOU CAN COORDINATE IT WITH PAM, UM, THE ADMINISTRATOR OF THE TNR PROGRAM.
AND SO, UH, PEOPLE CAN CONTACT HER AND TO, AND, UH, BASED ON THEIR AVAILABILITY, WHAT'S PAM'S CONTACT NUMBER? YOUR NUMBER IN GENERAL, SO THAT PEOPLE CAN CALL, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE RESIDENTS THAT ARE LISTENING TO THIS PROGRAM TODAY.
UH, IT, WELL, THE, IT IS 9 7 3 8 2 4 7 0 8 0 EXTENSION 1 1 8.
REPEAT THAT ONE MORE TIME PLEASE.
UM, THAT KIND OF ANSWERED THE NEXT QUESTION THAT I HAD WAS THE MOBILE SCHEDULE.
UM, I KNOW WHEN YOU WERE WITH US LAST YEAR, YOU TALKED ABOUT YOUR DESIRE TO PUT THE MOBILE SCHEDULE MOBILE VAN OUT.
Y YEAH, WE HAVEN'T DONE IT, UH, AS MUCH AS WE WOULD WANT TO.
IT, IT'S BASED ON TRYING TO FIND VETERINARIANS AS YOU KNOW, IT, IT'S A NATIONWIDE, UH, ISSUE, UH, THAT'S CONFRONTING EVERYONE.
UH, THERE ARE BASICALLY 30 VETERINARY SCHOOLS WHO, UM, GRADUATE PROBABLY A HUNDRED STUDENTS EACH, EACH YEAR.
AND THOSE STUDENTS COME OUT WITH INCREDIBLE AMOUNTS OF DEBT.
SO WE ARE IN A DIFFICULT POSITION TO COMPETE AGAINST THE SALARIES THAT SOME OF THESE PRIVATE, UH, VETERINARY PRACTICES ARE ABLE TO OFFER THEM.
AND THEY'RE GOING TO THEM BECAUSE THEY HAVE A LOT OF DEBT AND, YOU KNOW, THEY WANT TO PAY OFF THEIR DEBT.
I MEAN, I, YOU KNOW, I UNDERSTAND WHERE IT'S COMING FROM.
UM, YOU KNOW, THERE, OBVIOUSLY THERE ARE PROGRAMS OUT THERE IF SOMEONE, UM, CHOOSES TO WORK WITH A, NOT-FOR-PROFIT FOR 10 YEARS, WHERE STUDENT LOANS, UH, ARE, ARE FORGIVEN.
UH, SO, YOU KNOW, WE'RE ACTIVELY LOOKING THERE.
WE'VE ALSO HAD TO, YOU KNOW, INCREASE WHAT WE PAY OUR VETERINARIANS.
SO THAT WAS GONNA BE ONE OF MY OTHER QUESTIONS.
WHAT WAS THE STATUS OF HIRING YOUR VETERINARIANS? YOU ALSO TALKED ABOUT THE SHORTAGE LAST YEAR.
WE'RE, WE'RE, I'M, WE'RE ALWAYS TALKING TO PEOPLE.
UM, WE HAVE, AND FORTUNATELY WE HAVE, UH, HAVE IDENTIFIED SOME VETERINARIANS WHO, 'CAUSE THEY BELIEVE IN OUR MISSION WILL, YOU KNOW, ON THEIR DAYS OFF, DO PER DIEM WORK FOR US.
I MEAN, UH, I WAS TALKING, UH, THE GOING SALARY NOW FOR A GRADUATING, UH, VETERINARIAN IS PROBABLY ABOUT 175,000.
AND THAT DOESN'T INCLUDE SIGN ON BONUSES AND OTHER BENEFITS THAT ARE.
SO, BUT I'M HAPPY TO HEAR, DESPITE YOU HAVING THE CHALLENGES WITH THE VETERINARIAN, THAT YOU GUYS ARE STILL ABLE TO DO THE ENORMOUS WORK THAT YOU'RE DOING, THAT IT HASN'T HINDER YOU.
WE'RE VERY FORTUNATE, YOU KNOW, WE, AND WE HAVE A LONG HISTORY HERE, UH, IN NEWARK, UM, AND PEOPLE KNOW WHO WE ARE.
AND, YOU KNOW, WE BUILD ON THAT.
WE'VE, WE'VE ALSO, UM, HAVE, UH, UH, ESTABLISHED PARTNERSHIPS WITH SOME OF THE PRIVATE, UM, HOSPITALS.
SOME OF THEM, UH, WILL, UM, HAVE A PROGRAM WHERE THEIR EMPLOYEES CAN DONATE A DAY OR TWO DAYS, A, A MONTH, UH, TO AN, YOU KNOW, A NON TO A NON-PROFIT.
DOESN'T NECESSARILY BE VETERINARIAN, BUT ANY NON-PROFIT AS A BENEFIT TO THEM.
AND WE'VE, UM, WE HAVE A DAY NOW WHERE, UH, A GROUP OF VETERINARIANS FROM THE VETERINARY EMERGENCY GROUP, UH, IN UNION COME, UH, ONCE A MONTH, THEY, THEY SEE, UH, UH, OWNERS WITH THEIR FOR EXAMINATIONS AND VACCINES, AND THEY'RE STARTING NEXT WEEK, THEY'LL BE DOING SEVERAL SURGERIES PRO BONO FOR US.
WE'RE TRYING TO DEVELOP PARTNERSHIPS WITH ALL THESE ORGANIZATIONS BECAUSE I THINK THEY APPRECIATE THE, WHAT, UH, THE CHALLENGES THAT WE ARE FACING HERE.
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DO YOU KNOW, OFF THE TOP OF YOUR HEAD, HOW MANY CATS DID YOU ACTUALLY SERVICE LAST YEAR? UNDER OUR COUNTY GRANT? UM, YES.ROUGHLY HOW MUCH MONEY DOES THAT TRANSLATE INTO THAT YOU, I THINK WE, UM, UH, WE RECEIVED ABOUT $47,000.
ONE OF THE OTHER THINGS I RECALL, UM, FROM YOUR PRESENTATION LAST YEAR WAS THAT THERE WERE SOME COMMUNITIES THAT WERE MUCH MORE ACTIVE AND, UM, BRINGING IN CATS AND THINGS LIKE THAT, THAT NEEDED, UH, SERVICE ASSISTANCE.
WHEREAS ANOTHER PART OF THE COUNTY, AND I'M TRYING TO RECALL, I THINK IT WAS MORE NORTH, THAT WERE STRUGGLING TO PARTICIPATE.
HAVE WE SEEN ANY INCREASES FROM SOME OF THOSE OTHER COMMUNITIES THIS YEAR? WELL, OR LAST YEAR RATHER? WELL, BASICALLY, 60% OF THE, THE CATS THAT WE, UH, SPAYING THROUGH THE PROGRAM CAME FROM NEWARK.
UH, THE, UH, THE NEXT, THE LARGEST, UH, WERE WAS, UH, BELLEVILLE.
UM, AND THEN SOMETHING THE ORANGES, UM, WAS THAT
I COULD RESPOND AFTERWARDS TOO.
UM, AND, UM, YOU KNOW, OTHER TOWNS, YOU KNOW, WE WORK, YOU KNOW, WITH OTHER TOWNS TO BOTH WITHIN ESSEX COUNTY AND, AND, AND UNION COUNTY TO GET THEM TO ADOPT, YOU KNOW, UH, TNR ORDINANCES, UH, STAND BY TOWN, YOU KNOW, TO, UH, DROP THEIR ATTIC FEEDING ORDINANCES.
UM, AND, UH, WE'RE TRYING, WE'RE GOING OUT AND, YOU KNOW, SPEAKING WITH THE HEALTH OFFICERS, EDUCATING THEM ABOUT THE BENEFITS OF TNR, UM, TO GET THEM TO EMBRACE IT.
AND SO WE CAN EXPAND THE PROGRAM.
SO AS A FOLLOW UP, WHAT I'D LIKE TO KNOW ARE THE TOWNS THAT YOU HAVE NOT HAD ANY REAL PARTICIPATION FROM AND PERHAPS, UM, THE BOARD OR THE ADMINISTRATION, WE CAN SEND A LETTER TO THE ADMINISTRATORS OR THE HEALTH OFFICERS, UM, TO REMIND THEM ABOUT THIS PROGRAM AND TO TRY TO GET SOME MORE PARTICIPATION BECAUSE WE WOULD LIKE TO SEE A BALANCED, UM, PARTICIPATION ACROSS THE COUNTY.
YOU KNOW, THIS YEAR THE ADMINISTRATION INCREASED THE FUNDING AND I THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR INCREASING THE FUNDING THIS YEAR.
BUT THAT SPEAKS TO THE IMPORTANCE OF THE PROGRAM AND HOW MUCH IS BEING UTILIZED.
BUT WE'VE GOTTA GET MORE COUNTIES PARTICIPATING.
I'M ALWAYS THINKING ABOUT THE NUMBERS THAT MATT GAVE OUT, UM, ABOUT THE IMPACT THAT THIS PROGRAM HAS ON MANAGING THE FERAL CAT POPULATION.
BUT WE HAVE TO GET MORE AND MORE PEOPLE TO PARTICIPATE SO THAT WE CAN DO A BETTER JOB WITH IT.
SO THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE WORK THAT YOU GUYS HAVE DONE THE PAST COUPLE YEARS IN WORKING WITH THE COUNTY TO HELP US MANAGE THIS VERY IMPORTANT ISSUE.
CAN WE PLEASE HEAR NOW FROM C PAUL AND AS SHE'S COMING UP, MADAMS CHAIR, IF YOU DON'T MIND, WITHOUT, IF YOU DON'T OBJECT, JUST SO, UH, UH, IN CASE OTHERS DON'T KNOW WHO MIGHT BE LISTENING, THE COUNTY SUPPORTS, UM, THE SERVICE, THE SERVICING OF THE, UH, CAT $75 PER SERVICE FOR THE FIRST 300, AND THEN, UM, A HUNDRED DOLLARS PER SERVICE, UH, AFTER THAT.
SO THERE'S AN INCENTIVE TO DO, TO DO MORE.
UM, AND, UH, WE ARE, WE, WHEN WE FIRST STARTED OUT IN, UM, 2022, UH, WE DID, UH, 257 SERVICES.
UM, UH, AND THAT WAS, WAS JUST ASSOCIATED HUMANE.
UM, THAT NUMBER JUMPED UP TO, UM, UH, UH, LET'S SAY 480 BY THEM, OR ACTUALLY MORE, UH, AS MR. ROSENTHAL MENTIONED, UM, BUT CLOSE TO 500 IN 2023.
AND I THINK WE'RE, WE'RE GONNA MATCH THAT NUMBER, UM, COMING UP IN 2024.
AND I'LL LET, UM, MS. BINS TALK ABOUT, UH, THE NUMBERS ON CPA.
I SHOULD ALSO, IF YOU DON'T MIND, I SHOULD ALSO ADD THAT WE ALSO PAY FOR, UM, FOOD SUPPLIES AS NEEDED.
AND ALSO WE, WE WILL PROVIDE, UM, SUPPORT FOR TRAPS AS WELL.
OKAY, AMANDA, I'M GONNA SPEAK FIRST ON BEHALF OF C PAW.
AMANDA, I WANT TO ECHO WHAT MR. ROSENTHAL SAID.
UM, PEOPLE ARE FEELING THE CRUNCH MORE THAN EVER BEFORE, AND FAMILIES ARE NOT ALWAYS ABLE TO AFFORD BASIC PET CARE.
AND WHAT HAPPENS IS CATS GET OUTSIDE, THEY GET PREGNANT, THEY COME HOME, PREGNANT PEOPLE CAN'T KEEP MAMA AND KITTENS.
AND SO MORE AND MORE CATS ARE BORN.
UM, SO I JUST WANTED TO HIGHLIGHT, UM, TO START OFF THAT EVEN THOUGH WE'RE TALKING ABOUT TNBR, WE'RE TALKING NOT JUST ABOUT FERAL CATS, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT COMMUNITY CATS.
SO COMMUNITY CATS ENCOMPASSES BOTH FERAL CATS, WHICH ARE UNSOCIALIZED TO HUMANS AND FRIENDLY CATS, WHICH WERE SOCIALIZED
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TO HUMANS.SO THOSE WOULD BE THE ONES WHO WERE KITTENS BORN OUTSIDE, WHO WERE FRIENDLY WITH PEOPLE FROM A YOUNG AGE, AND NOW THEY ARE ADOPTABLE.
UM, SO COMMUNITY CAT ENCOMPASSES BOTH OF THOSE THINGS.
AND WHEN TNR IS TARGETED AND METHODICAL, LIKE UNDER SEA PAWS PROGRAM, THERE ARE FEWER CATS BEING BORN OUTSIDE COLONIES DECREASE IN SIZE AS THE CATS DIE NATURALLY.
AND THAT LEADS TO DECREASED BURDEN ON THE PRECIOUS RESOURCES AVAILABLE.
AND I'M SO GLAD TO HEAR THAT WE'VE BOOSTED, UM, THE AMOUNT AVAILABLE TO $100,000 FOR THE YEAR, BUT THE NUMBER OF FAMILIES WHO CANNOT AFFORD THAT BASIC PET CARE GROWS EVERY DAY.
UM, NEARLY ONE IN EVERY FIVE CATS THAT WE TRAP IS FRIENDLY, AND THAT'S IN A TRAP.
THEY MAY, THAT NUMBER, NUMBER MAY BE HIGHER BECAUSE IN A TRAP, THEY ARE NOT ACTING IN THE WAY THAT THEY WOULD ACT IN A HOME.
UM, SO WE ARE NOW REIMBURSED $75 PER CAT, AND THAT HELPS TO COVER THE NEUTER FOR THE CAT.
BUT WE ARE ASKING FOR AN INCREASE TO $100 PER CATT AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.
BECAUSE LOOKING BACK ON OUR NUMBERS, 90% OF CPA'S EXPENSES FOR THE PERIOD FROM JULY, 2023.
WHEN WE STARTED WORKING WITH THIS PROGRAM UNTIL APRIL, 2024, 90% OF OUR EXPENSES WERE VETERINARY EXPENSES.
WE DON'T HAVE A BUILDING, WE DON'T HAVE PAID EMPLOYEES, BUT 90% OF OUR EXPENSES WERE VETERINARY.
AND ONLY 25% OF THOSE EXPENSES WERE REIMBURSED THROUGH THIS PROGRAM.
FRIENDLY CATS ARE, ARE GROWING NUMBER OF THAT PROBLEM, AND OUR VOLUNTEERS SEE IT EVERY DAY ON THE STREETS WHEN THEY'RE ASKED FOR HELP, NOT JUST FOR THE CATS THEY FEED OUTSIDE, BUT FOR THEIR PET CATS TOO.
SO I'M ASKING FOR CPA AND JAY TO BE UPPED TO $100 PER CAT MOVING FORWARD.
AND IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, UM, I'D BE HAPPY TO ANSWER THEM.
AND AMY IS HERE FOR STATISTIC NUMBERS AS WELL.
SO CAN WE PLEASE HAVE AMY COME UP TO THE MIC BECAUSE I HAVE, UM, SOME QUESTIONS DEFINITELY ABOUT, BUT DON'T GO TOO FAR AWAY, AMANDA, IN CASE WE NEED YOU.
SO PLEASE STATE YOUR NAME AND AFFILIATION FOR THE RECORD, PLEASE.
MY NAME IS AMY RABINOWITZ AND I'M ALSO ON THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF C PAW.
SO 2023 WAS THE FIRST YEAR THAT YOU PARTICIPATED WITH OUR PROGRAM, CORRECT? THE FIRST WEEK WAS THE WEEK OF JULY 17TH.
SO HOW MANY CATS DID YOU ALL SERVICE FROM THE TIME THAT YOU STARTED? UM, WE TNR THROUGH YESTERDAY, 270 CATS, UH, THAT WERE PARTIALLY REIMBURSED BY THE COUNTY.
WE ALSO TRAPPED AND NEUTERED AN ADDITIONAL 52 COMMUNITY CATS, UH, THAT WERE NOT AT ALL, UM, REIMBURSED BY THE COUNTY.
AND ADDITIONALLY, ANOTHER SIX CATS THAT WE TRAPPED HAD TO BE EUTHANIZED DUE TO SEVERE ILLNESS AND INJURIES.
SO FOR A TOTAL OF, WHAT WAS THE FIRST NUMBER? UH, THE FIRST NUMBER WAS TWO 70.
IN TOTAL, UH, WE, WE NEUTERED, UH, NEUTERED AND IF YOU INCLUDE THE SIX WET, AND I, SEVERAL OF WHOM WERE ALSO NEUTERED, 328 CATS OVER A NINE MONTH PERIOD.
CAN YOU PLEASE MOVE IN, IN FRONT OF THE MIC SO THAT WE CAN HEAR YOU BETTER? OH, SURE.
IS THAT BETTER? IS THAT BETTER? THAT BETTER? OKAY.
SHE SHOULD PUT IT TO HER LIST.
AND PROJECTING THROUGH THE END OF JULY, UM, WE'RE LOOKING AT A PROJECTION OF ANOTHER 120 CATS THROUGH THE END OF JULY, WHICH WOULD TAKE OUR TOTAL TO, UM, ALMOST FOUR 50 EXACTLY FOR THE FIRST 12 MONTHS.
WHERE ARE YOU SEEING YOUR CATS, LIKE TOWN WISE, COMING FROM NEWARK, BY FAR IS THE NUMBER ONE TOWN.
UM, OUT OF THE TWO 70 FERAL CATS THAT WE TNR AT 149 OR 55% CAME FROM NEWARK.
WHAT'S YOUR TOP THREE TOWNS? NEWARK.
AND THEN WHAT'S THE NEXT TWO? NEWARK, EAST ORANGE AND IRVINGTON, THOUGH THE NUMBER, UH, DROPS DRAMATICALLY.
NEWARK WAS 1 49 EAST ORANGE, 35 IRVINGTON 30.
AND THEN DO YOU HAVE, UM, PARTICULAR DAYS THAT PEOPLE ARE ABLE TO
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COME TO YOUR ORGANIZATION OR IS IT OPEN, LIKE WHAT HOURS? UM, NO.UM, WHAT OUR TRAPPERS DO IS ON THE WEEKENDS THEY TRAP GENERALLY 10 CATS EVERY WEEKEND.
UM, MONDAY MORNING WE HAVE 10 STANDING APPOINTMENTS AT PEOPLE FOR ANIMALS AND HILLSIDE.
AND WE HAVE VOLUNTEERS THAT TRANSPORT THOSE CAPS TO AND FROM PFA TO ONE OF OUR VOLUNTEER RECOVERERS, UH, BOTH BEFORE AND AFTER THEIR SURGERIES.
AND, UM, WE DO OCCASIONALLY HAVE COMPANION DAYS WHERE THE PUBLIC CAN SIGN UP FOR, UM, TRAP, I MEAN, EXCUSE ME, FOR NEUTER OR SPAY.
AND WE, WE DO REIMBURSE THEM FOR THAT IF, IF THEY'RE NOT ABLE TO PAY FOR IT THEMSELVES.
BUT IN GENERAL, THE PUBLIC NEEDS TO DO WHAT THEY CALL WALK-INS AT PEOPLE FOR ANIMALS SO THAT ON A MONDAY, TUESDAY, WEDNESDAY OR THURSDAY, UM, MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC ARE ALLOWED TO GO TO PFA WITH FERAL CATS ONLY TO BE SPAYED OR NEUTERED.
SO WHERE DO, WHERE ARE YOU LOCATED? LIKE WHAT'S YOUR ADDRESS? WHAT TOWN ARE YOU IN? UM, WE LIVE IN DIFFERENT TOWNS.
BUT LIKE I'M IN BLOOMFIELD, UM, WE HAVE, SO HOW DO PEOPLE GET IN CONTACT WITH YOU GUYS? OH, OKAY.
THEY CAN GO TO OUR WEBSITE TO SEE PAW NJ.ORG AND THERE'S A, A GET HELP HERE BUTTON THAT THEY CAN CLICK ON.
AND THERE IS A FORM THAT THEY CAN FILL OUT IF THEY SEE CATS IN THEIR YARD OR, OR THEIR NEIGHBORHOOD.
AND, UM, THERE DOES HAVE TO BE A FEEDER BECAUSE WITHOUT A FEEDER, UM, WE CAN'T GET THE TRAPPERS TO GET THE CATS ON A SCHEDULE SO THEY'RE HUNGRY AND THEN THEY CAN THEN SET UP THE TRAPS ON THE WEEKENDS AND SET THEM WITH FOOD.
AND THAT'S HOW THEY LU THE CATS INTO THE TRAPS.
DO YOU DO TRAINING FOR PEOPLE WHO WANNA BECOME TRAPPERS? UH, WE CERTAINLY COULD.
AND WE HAVE, WE RIGHT NOW WE HAVE, UM, NOT JUST OUR VOLUNTEERS, BUT WE'VE HAD A NUMBER OF LOCAL FEEDERS AND EVEN HOMEOWNERS THAT HAVE BEEN WILLING TO TRAP THEIR OWN CATS IN RECENT MONTHS.
AND, UM, JED SHAKY, WHO, YOU KNOW, WHO'S OUR LEAD TRAPPER, UH, WORKS WITH THEM TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY UNDERSTAND EXACTLY HOW TO SET A TRAP, UH, HOW LONG TO WITHHOLD FOOD, AND SO THAT WE, WE ABSOLUTELY CAN HELP THEM AND WE LEND THEM OUR TRAPS AS WELL.
WHAT WAS THE TOTAL, UM, DOLLAR VALUE THAT YOU GUYS EXPENDED FROM THE GRANT, DO YOU KNOW? UM, YEAH.
IS MR. JACKSON, THIS IS SEGREGATED BY CALENDAR YEAR, RIGHT? YES.
SO WHAT DID YOU EXPEND, IF YOU KNOW? SO LAST YEAR, UH, THE COUNTY, UH, REIMBURSED US FOR 126 CATS AT $75 A CAT.
AND THIS YEAR TO DATE THROUGH YESTERDAY, IT'S GOING TO BE 144 CATS AT $75 A CAT.
UM, AND AS AMANDA MENTIONED, VERY UNFORTUNATELY, UH, BECAUSE OF THE SKY HIGH VET BILLS, UM, WITH ONLY 25% BEING REIMBURSED, WE'RE LOOKING AT A MASSIVE NEGATIVE NUMBER, UM, THAT WE HAD TO PULL FROM THE SMALL DONATIONS THAT WE GET.
AND THAT'S ONE OF OUR MAIN CONCERNS, FRANKLY, IS THAT IT'S NOT SUSTAINABLE.
UM, A HUNDRED DOLLARS A CAT WOULD CERTAINLY, CERTAINLY HELP.
UH, IT STILL WOULDN'T GET US NEAR OUR FULL, UH, MEDICAL COST, BUT IT WOULD, IT WOULD REALLY HELP.
COMMISSIONER, DO YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS? NO.
WELL, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR PRESENTATION TODAY AND ALL THE GOOD WORK THAT YOU'RE DOING IN THE COMMUNITY AROUND COMMUNITY CATS, UM, AND HELPING US TO ADDRESS MORE OF THEM.
WE WILL TAKE YOUR COMMENTS FROM BOTH ORGANIZATIONS UNDER CONSIDERATION AND WE'LL HAVE A DISCUSSION, UM, WITH THE, WITH THE ADMINISTRATION ABOUT SOME OF YOUR CONCERNS.
UM, MR. ROSENTHAL, WOULD YOU COME BACK TO THE MIC FOR ME PLEASE? FOR ONE QUESTION.
UM, CAN YOU STATE YOUR NAME AND AFFILIATION
[00:35:01]
FOR THE RECORD, PLEASE? SURE.JERRY ROSENTHAL, CEO OF ASSOCIATED HUMANE SOCIETIES.
I FORGOT TO ASK, DO YOU GUYS DO TRAINING FOR PEOPLE INTERESTED IN TRAPPING? WE, WE CAN.
SO I'M GONNA MOVE TO, UM, PUBLIC COMMENT, ADMINISTRATION, WAIT, BEFORE I GO TO ADMINISTRATION.
UH, THANK YOU, UH, MADAM CHAIR, JUST A COUPLE COMMENTS ON THE RATE.
UM, IF YOU MAY RECALL, WE STARTED OUT AT $50.
UM, AND WE INCREASED IT TO 75.
AND THEN WE HAD INTRODUCED THE, WITH THE $100, BUT WITH THE, WITH THE PROVISO THAT IT WAS BASED ON A VOLUME NUMBER, UM, WE WENT OUT FOR A PROPOSAL AT A CERTAIN RATE.
SO IF WE WERE TO CHANGE THAT, WE'D HAVE TO GO BACK OUT AND UNDER, UNDER NEW RATES.
SO, UM, IT'S, IT'S NOT AS EASY AS FOR US TO DO.
UM, UH, BUT WE DID, I JUST WANTED TO PUT ON THE RECORD THAT WE, WE, WE'VE INCREASED THE NUMBER QUITE A BIT AND I UNDERSTAND THE COST OF GOING UP, UM, SOMETHING WE COULD LOOK AT IN THE FUTURE, BUT WE ARE CONSTRAINED BY THE FACT THAT WE HAVE, UH, UH, PROPOSALS AND AGREEMENTS WITH BOTH ENTITIES.
THANK YOU FOR THOSE COMMENTS, MR. JACKSON.
UM, PLEASE, UM, REFRESH MY MEMORY.
WE WENT OUT TO BID FOR THIS EARLIER THIS YEAR.
UH, I HAVE TO HAVE TO DEFER TO MATT.
UM, AND THEN WE AWARDED TO THE TWO ORGANIZATIONS THAT'S WITH US TODAY, CORRECT? FOR ONE YEAR TERM? NO, I THINK, UH, TWO JANUARY 1ST, TWO, RIGHT.
AND SO WHEN THOSE WOULD BE SET TO EXPIRE, I ASSUME LATER THIS YEAR, SO IF WE WERE TO GO OUT TO BID, IT'D BE, WE WOULD FOLLOW THAT SAME PROCESS? CORRECT.
ANYTHING ELSE FROM THE ADMINISTRATION? UH, OH, I DID WANT TO THANK, UH, JESSICA, UH, FLORES AND, AND MATT, WHO WORK ON MY TEAM WHO, WHO ARE REALLY RESPONSIBLE FOR KEEPING TRACK OF THE NUMBERS AND THE DOLLARS AND UH, DO A GREAT JOB.
SO, UM, PART OF OUR SUCCESS HAS BEEN THERE.
THEY'RE STAYING ON TOP OF THIS AND, AND, AND HELP AND HELPING TO COORDINATE.
HOW MUCH DID WE ACTUALLY EXPEND IN 23? UM, I THINK THE NUMBER, LET ME SAY, UH, UH, I GOTTA TAKE MY GLASSES ON.
DO WE HAVE IT ON HERE, MATT? UH, FOR 2023? YEAH.
50,000 WE BUDGETED AND WE SPENT IT ALL.
THANK YOU MR. JACKSON AND MATT FOR ALL THE WORK.
MORE MATT THAN MR. JACKSON AND JESSICA.
THANK YOU GUYS SO MUCH FOR DOING A GREAT JOB.
AND I'M EXCITED TO HEAR THAT WE SPENT ALL OF THE MONEY LAST YEAR THAT HELPS TO ADVOCATE FOR MORE MONEY.
WHEN YOU SPEND, UM, ALL THE MONEY THAT YOU HAVE, I'M OFTEN REMINDED OF MY MOTHER WHO WOULD ALWAYS SAY, IF YOU DIDN'T SPEND EVERYTHING THAT I GAVE YOU, HOW DO I KNOW THAT YOU NEED ANY MORE? SO SPEND IT ALL, DON'T LEAVE THE GRANT.
TELL ME, DON'T LEAVE ANY MONEY ON THE, ON THE TABLE.
SPEND EVERY DOLLAR THAT'S ALLOCATED TO YOU.
I'M GONNA MOVE THE PUBLIC COMMENT.
UM, IF ANYONE WOULD LIKE TO COMMENT, UM, PLEASE COME UP TO THE MIC.
STATE YOUR NAME AND AFFILIATION FOR THE RECORD AND YOU'LL HAVE THREE MINUTES TO MAKE A COMMENT.
HI, MY NAME IS THERESA STEVENS.
I HAD NO IDEA THESE TYPE OF MEETINGS EXISTED.
UM, I ACTUALLY FOUND OUT ABOUT THIS MEETING BECAUSE OF MAMA MEOW CHARLOTTE.
UM, I'VE BEEN FEEDING CATS FOR OVER 25 YEARS IN IRVINGTON AND SOUTH ORANGE WHERE I USED TO LIVE.
AND I'VE NEVER RECEIVED ANYTHING FREE FOR MY CATS EXCEPT FOR THE COLONY.
UM, 17 OF MY CATS WERE TNR THROUGH ST.
THERE WAS A GRANT, UH, WITH IRVINGTON.
I HAD NO IDEA THAT SEA PAWS EXISTED.
UM, I ALWAYS KNEW ABOUT THE, UH, HUMANE SOCIETY IN NEWARK, BUT I THOUGHT THAT WAS FOR, YOU KNOW, RESIDENTS OF NEWARK.
UM, BUT UM, FROM WHAT I'M UNDERSTANDING, CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG, YOU'LL TAKE CATS FROM IRVINGTON.
SO WHAT I'VE BEEN DOING OUT OF THOSE 17 CATS, UM, THANK GOD FOR ST.
HUBERT'S, THEY HELPED ME OUT A LOT.
BUT ONCE THE GRANT EXPIRED, I'VE BEEN PAYING OUT OF MY OWN POCKET TO HAVE THE, UM, FERAL CATS, UM, NEUTERED AND SPADE.
AND SOME ARE FRIENDLY AND I AGREE WITH WHAT THEY'RE SAYING DUE TO THE ECONOMY.
PEOPLE ARE DUMPING CATS LEFT AND RIGHT.
AND THEN THEY'LL GO, OH, THERE'S THE CAT LADY.
YOU KNOW, THEY'LL DUMP 'EM TO MY COLONY AND THEN THE CAT IS FRIENDLY, IT CAN'T LIVE ON THE STREET.
SO NOW I'M SEARCHING FOR SOMEBODY TO ADOPT AND ONCE A PERSON WILL TELL ME THEY WILL ADOPT, YOU KNOW HOW IT GOES.
I CAN'T AFFORD TO TAKE THE CAT TO BE T AND R, SO I END UP GOING TO PEOPLE, TO ANIMALS
[00:40:02]
AND PAYING OUTTA MY POCKET MYSELF, UM, TO AT LEAST IF I PAY FOR IT, THE CAT IS GONNA HAVE A HOME.YOU KNOW, MR. MUNCH WENT, MS. SPICY WENT QUITE A FEW OF THEM.
BUT, UM, I'M WONDERING IS THERE ANY, UH, PLACES IN IRVINGTON THAT COULD POSSIBLY OPEN WHERE THEY CAN DO THE NEUTERING THAT THESE MOBILE UNITS IN IRVINGTON? SO I DON'T HAVE TO GO SO FAR TO HILLSIDE OR TO NEWARK, BUT I, I'M WILLING TO GO 'CAUSE I'VE BEEN GOING TO HILLSIDE TO PEOPLE FOR ANIMALS.
ANYTHING ELSE? I'M, I'M TAKING NOTES HERE TO TALK TO.
UM, OH, ALSO, UM, I AGREE WITH EVERYONE ELSE.
I SPOKE TO MY UBER DRIVER TODAY.
IS ANYBODY LOOKING AT THE 40 CAN CASE? IT'S 34 95.
I FEED HER CAT SATURDAY AND SUNDAY.
WELL, MAMA MEOW FEEDS THEM ON THE WEEKEND FOR ME WHEN I WORK MY PART-TIME JOB.
I'M HAPPY TO BE HERE AND I'M, I'M HAPPY TO SEE ALL THE GREAT PEOPLE HERE AND THE GOOD WORK THAT YOU'RE DOING.
I I DON'T GENERALLY COMMENT AFTER PUBLIC COMMENT, BUT I WANT TO THANK YOU FOR COMING OUT TODAY TO OUR MEETING AND MAMA MEOW FOR BEING SUCH A GOOD COMMUNITY ADVOCATE AND SPOKESPERSON IS SPREADING THE WORD ABOUT THE WORK THAT WE DO.
WE WILL GET YOU THE FLYERS FROM THE ORGANIZATIONS THAT ARE HERE TODAY.
WE GENERALLY POST THEM ON OUR FACEBOOK PAGE.
I KNOW THE ADMINISTRATION DOES IT AS WELL THAT WE ADVERTISE SOME OF THESE PROGRAMS, BUT THEY ARE OPEN WHEN YOU GET FUNDING FROM US AT, AT THE COUNTY, UNLESS WE SPECIFICALLY RESTRICTED, IT'S OPEN TO ANYBODY THAT'S FROM THE COUNTY OF ESSEX, YOU COULD COME OUT AND PARTICIPATE UNLESS WE RESTRICTED OTHERWISE.
SO YOU CAN CALL EITHER ONE OF THESE ORGANIZATIONS FOR SUPPORT.
SO I'M HAPPY YOU YOU CAME OUT TODAY.
UM, ANYONE ELSE? PUBLIC COMMENT.
UM, MS. JESSICA, THE FIRST PERSON, THERE'S A PAD UP THERE.
IF YOU WRITE YOUR NAME AND NUMBER AND INFORMATION DOWN, YOU'LL GET INTO OUR NETWORK WHERE WE'LL EMAIL YOU OUT.
SO EVERYONE WHO COMES UP TO SPEAK, PLEASE MAKE SURE YOU FILL THAT OUT.
HI, UH, I'M KATHY YATES, UH, A ORANGE.
UH, MY ORGANIZATION IS CROSSROADS KITTIES AND UM, I THANK YOU FOR EVERYTHING THAT WE'RE DOING SO FAR.
IT'S BEEN A HUGE HELP AND I'M WONDERING IF WE COULD ADD ON THAT WE'RE HAVING A SLIGHT PROBLEM BECAUSE AS SHE'S SAYING, THERE ARE SO MANY FRIENDLIES BEING DUMPED.
AND SO YES, WE HAVE THE GRANT FOR TNR, BUT THE CATS THAT WE PICK UP FROM THE STREET THAT ARE FRIENDLY, THEN WE HAVE TO PAY FOR THEM.
SO I'M WONDERING IF THERE COULD BE SOMETHING THAT WE CAN DO.
AND I KNOW YOU WANT TO BE CAREFUL BECAUSE YOU DON'T WANT PEOPLE BRINGING IN THEIR CATS ON THIS PROGRAM TO GET SPAYED AND NEUTERED, BUT, YOU KNOW, WE'RE HAVING TO PAY OUT OF OUR POCKETS FOR CATS THAT HAVE BEEN DUMPED.
SO COULD THERE BE SOME ALLOTMENT FOR THE, THE FRIENDLY CATS THAT ARE OUT THERE? THE DUMPED CATS IN, IN TWO WEEKS, I, I GOT CALLS ABOUT FOUR DIFFERENT CATS THAT I JUST HAD TO GET OFF THE STREET.
TWO WERE, TWO WERE IN CARRIERS, ONE WAS DUMPED IN A PARKING LOT.
UH, YOU KNOW, TWO WERE DUMPED IN IN TWO DIFFERENT PARKING LOTS.
BUT IT'S, IT'S UNBELIEVABLE WHAT'S HAPPENING RIGHT NOW.
COULD THERE BE SOMETHING IN THIS GRANT THAT COULD COVER FRIENDLY CATS THAT ARE DUMPED ON THE STREET? UM, AND ONE OTHER THING, WHICH MAY BE A LITTLE MORE COMPLICATED, BUT WHAT SOME OF US THAT DO TNR, UM, DON'T HAVE A PLACE TO RECUPERATE THE CATS.
SO IF WE COULD PUT ON THE LIST, UM, HAVING A PLACE THAT WE COULD RECUPERATE CATS, UM, I KNOW THAT ENTAILS SOMEONE TO TAKE CARE OF THE, YOU KNOW, THE PLACE WHILE THE CATS ARE RECUPERATING.
BUT I JUST WANT TO PUT IT OUT THERE AND I THINK THAT WE COULD GET MORE DONE IF WE COULD HAVE THAT KIND OF THING HAPPEN.
ANYONE ELSE? PLEASE STEP UP TO THE MIC.
STATE YOUR NAME AND AFFILIATION FOR THE RECORD, PLEASE.
HI, I'M DEBBIE NAONE AND I'M FROM BELVILLE.
AND WE JUST STARTED, UM, A RESCUE, A NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION.
WE'RE HAVING A LOT OF PROBLEMS 'CAUSE WE'RE CATCHING A LOT OF INJURED CATS, UM, THAT WE'RE TAKING TO THE VET AND WE'RE PAYING FOR IT OUT OF OUR OWN POCKET.
BESIDES TRYING TO GET APPOINTMENTS TO SPAY AND NEUTER THESE FERAL CATS, WE ALSO DON'T HAVE NO PLACE TO STORE THEM ANYMORE BECAUSE FOR EIGHT YEARS
[00:45:01]
I WAS DOING IT OUT OF MY GARAGE.LOOKING FOR HELP TO SEE IF POSSIBLY WE CAN GET ON THIS PROGRAM.
WE DO TRANSPORT, UM, TO MASSACHUSETTS.
UM, CATS THAT WE HAVE PICKED UP IN BBO KITTENS THAT WERE FRIENDLY BECAUSE WE HAVE NO PLACE TO STORE THEM AND THEY DON'T HAVE KITTENS AND ADULT FRIENDLY CATS THERE.
UM, THAT IS OUR BIGGEST, OUR BIGGEST PROBLEM IS RIGHT NOW PEOPLE DUMPING.
SO WE'RE PICKING UP A LOT OF FRIENDLY CATS AND WE HAVE NO FACILITY RIGHT NOW, SO WE'RE TRYING TO GET HELP IF WE COULD.
THEY KEEP ON TELLING US THAT THEY'RE GOING TO ASSIST US AND HELP US, BUT NOTHING'S BEEN DONE.
ANYTHING ELSE YOU'D LIKE TO ADD? NO, THAT'S IT.
WELL THANK YOU SO MUCH TOO FOR COMING OUT JOINING US AT YOUR FIRST MEETING.
IT'S A GREAT OPPORTUNITY FOR YOU TO NETWORK WITH OTHER PEOPLE WHO ARE LOOKING TO WORK ON THE SAME ISSUE THAT YOU'RE WORKING ON IN YOUR COMMUNITY.
IT'S NOT UNIQUE JUST TO YOU IN BELLEVILLE, UH, US IN EAST ORANGE OR IN NEWARK.
WE ALL ARE SUFFERING FROM THE SAME ISSUE.
SO COLLECTIVELY COMING TOGETHER, MAYBE WE COULD WORK THROUGH SOME OF THIS SOME MORE.
SO THANK YOU SO MUCH AGAIN FOR COMING OUT.
IF THERE'S ANY OTHER COMMENTS, PLEASE COME UP TO THE MIC.
STATE YOUR NAME AND AFFILIATION FOR THE RECORD, PLEASE.
WE'RE AN ADVOCACY GROUP, UM, IN MAPLEWOOD AND SOUTH ORANGE.
AND OUR BIG PROBLEM, UM, IS THAT WE HAD, UH, BEEN WITH ST.
HUBERT'S, OF COURSE, VERY PREEMPTIVELY, UM, ENDED THEIR SERVICE AND THEY LEFT BOTH TOWNS AND ALERT AS WELL AS MANY OTHER TOWNS THROUGHOUT ESSEX COUNTY AND MORRIS COUNTY, UNION COUNTY ELSEWHERE.
AND, UM, YOU KNOW, PUT THE TOWN BOTH TOWNS IN A BIT OF A BIND.
UM, THEY SIGNED WITH BLOOMFIELD ANIMAL SHELTER TEMPORARILY, UM, AND SOUTH ORANGE WENT WITH A PRIVATE CONTRACTOR AND MAPLEWOOD STAYED WITH, UH, BLOOMFIELD.
BUT WHAT THOSE CONTRACTS DID NOT TAKE CARE OF, ALL IT WAS DOING IS PICKING UP STRAY DOGS BASICALLY, OR LOST DOGS AND, AND HOLDING THEM FOR SEVEN DAYS.
THAT WAS BASICALLY WHAT THAT CONTRACT, WHAT BOTH CONTRACTS WERE ABOUT.
BUT WHAT THEY WEREN'T ADDRESSING WERE OUR FERAL AND COMMUNITY CATS AND THE FRIENDLIES THAT ARE GETTING DUMPED BECAUSE, UM, EVEN, YOU KNOW, IN A TOWN LIKE YOU, TOWNS LIKE MAPLEWOOD AND SOUTH ORANGE, WE DO HAVE A SIGNIFICANT PROBLEM WITH, UH, CATS THAT NEED TO BE TN VD.
UM, SO, SO THE OTHER PART OF THIS IS KIND OF WHAT YOU SAID IN THE BEGINNING OF THE MEETING THAT YOU NEEDED TO GET LETTERS OUT TO REMIND THAT TOWN ADMINISTRATORS THAT THERE IS THIS SERVICE THERE AND THERE.
THERE'S GOTTA BE A BETTER WAY TO PARTNER, ESPECIALLY NOW THAT YOU HAVE, YOU KNOW, THE SIZABLE GRANT.
YOU KNOW, THERE ARE MORE TOWNS OUT THERE AND MORE CATS THAT REALLY, REALLY NEED THIS HELP.
THE OTHER THING I WANTED TO MENTION TO YOU, THERE'S REALLY NO REASON TO REINVENT THE WHEEL.
NEIGHBORHOOD CATS.ORG UH, HAS A-T-N-V-R PROGRAM, WHICH YOU CAN WATCH ONLINE AND THEN RECEIVE A CERTIFICATE OF COMPLETION AT THE END.
I I'VE DONE IT MYSELF AND EVEN THOUGH I'M NOT PLANNING TO GO OUT AND BE A TRACKER, IT WAS GOOD INFORMATION FOR ME TO HAVE SO THAT IF I HAVE A FRIENDLY CAT OR A COMMUNITY CAT THAT SOMEONE ASKS ME TO HELP THEM WITH, WE CAN GO OUT AND TRAP IT.
AND I KNOW THE PROPER WAY TO DO IT BECAUSE I PARTICIPATED IN THIS WORKSHOP 30 SECONDS.
UM, ANYWAY, I WOULD LOVE TO BE ABLE TO, OUR GROUP WOULD LOVE TO BE ABLE TO COMMUNICATE WITH, WITH YOU TO FIND OUT BETTER WAYS THAT WE CAN, UH, TAKE CARE OF OUR, OUR CATS IN OUR TOWNS.
ANYONE ELSE? PUBLIC COMMENT, PLEASE COME UP TO THE MIC.
STATE YOUR NAME AND AFFILIATION FOR THE RECORD, PLEASE MAMA ME OUT.
I'M GONNA COME DOWN THERE AND SIT NEXT TO YOU.
I'LL BE SIGNING AUTOGRAPHS AFTER, UH, YEAH,
[00:50:01]
I'M SORRY.UH, MY NAME'S MARSHA SANFORD AND I'M JUST A SOLO VOLUNTEER.
I, I ASSIST MY TOWN, UH, MELBOURNE SHORT HILLS.
I'M VERY FORTUNATE 'CAUSE MY TOWN SUPPORTS TNR AND THEY HELP ME PAY FOR SURGERIES.
UM, THE BIGGEST PROBLEM I'M HAVING RIGHT NOW IS WHERE TO BRING THE CATS WHEN I CATCH THEM.
UM, PFAS, EXTREMELY OVERWHELMED.
UH, VERY, UH, IMPORTANT HOSPITAL CLOSED AND PUTTING TERRIBLE STRESS ON ON PFA, I'M AFRAID, I'M AFRAID TO TRAP ANY CATS TO TELL YOU THE TRUTH BECAUSE I, I'M, I DON'T KNOW IF I'M GONNA GET TURNED AWAY.
YOU KNOW, YOU HAVE TO GET UP NOW AT THE CRACK OF DAWN, THERE'S A LONG WAITING PERIOD.
SO IT REALLY, YOU KNOW, FOR ME TO SPEND FOUR DAYS OUTTA MY LIFE, IT'S POSSIBLY FOUR HOURS OF SITTING IN MY CAR WAITING TO DROP OFF AND PICK UP.
SO THAT, THAT'S JUST, I DON'T KNOW WHERE YOU GUYS CAN HELP, BUT I JUST TOOK SOME NOTES.
I THINK THE GRANT IS WONDERFUL, BUT IT'S, IT'S NO FAULT OF YOUR, YOU, I'M JUST SAYING MY PEOPLE, EVERYBODY'S CONFUSED.
I ASK PEOPLE ABOUT IT, THEY'RE LIKE, HUH? WHAT GRANT? OH YEAH, THAT GRANT.
THERE, THERE'S A LOT OF CONFUSION ABOUT, YOU KNOW, WHERE THEY ACCEPT.
YOU KNOW, I GUESS I, I GUESS IT'S PFA AND MAYBE NEWARK.
UM, SO, YOU KNOW, THERE'S A LOT OF CONFUSION ABOUT WHO CAN USE IT.
I DO SOMETIMES I'LL JUST GO TO NEWARK AND IF I SEE CATS, I'LL PICK THEM UP AND I'LL BRING THEM THERE ON.
I'LL BRING THEM TO PFA ON MY OWN AND PAY ON MY OWN POCKET.
UM, UH, SO, YOU KNOW, THERE'S DEFINITELY A SICK CAT ISSUE.
I GET A LOT OF CALLS IN MY TOWN, SO I'M SURE.
AND I GET A LOT OF CALLS FROM MAMA MEOW.
YOU KNOW, THERE'S LIKE, THERE, THERE'S JUST CERTAIN TOWNS THAT DON'T HAVE TRAPPERS, DON'T HAVE HELPERS.
AND YOU KNOW, AS A RESULT, THE CATS IN IRVINGTON, I DON'T KNOW, I GUESS SOMEBODY HERE IS HELPING IRVINGTON, BUT SEEMS LIKE THERE'S A LOT OF SICK CATS THAT NOBODY CAN GET TO.
UM, AND, AND HE DOES DOGS TOO.
AND THEN JUST A COUPLE OF, YOU KNOW, NOTES THAT I MADE.
YOU KNOW, NEW JERSEY IS THE ONLY, IS ONE OF THE FEW STATES WITH NO VET SCHOOLS AND IT'S NEARLY IMPOSSIBLE TO GET INTO VET SCHOOL IF YOU DON'T LIVE IN STATE.
THE, THE ACCEPTANCE NUMBERS ARE LIKE SINGLE DIGITS.
SO THAT'S PROBABLY HASN'T HELPED THE STATE OF NEW JERSEY.
THERE WILL BE A VET SCHOOL STARTING NEXT YEAR AT ROWAN, MAYBE THAT'LL HELP.
THE VET OFFICES, THEY'RE BEING BOUGHT, BOUGHT UP BY VENTURE CAPITALISTS AND CORPORATE 30 SECONDS, WHICH IS MAKING THE RATES JUST GO CRAZY, YOU KNOW? UM, I MEAN I'M, I'M HAPPY TO WALK INTO PFA AND PAY $80, YOU KNOW, 86 IF YOU HAVE TO ADD CERTAIN THINGS.
BUT NOW I'M NOT EVEN SURE HOW MUCH THIS MOBILE UNIT COSTS.
I'M, I'M HEARING 150, 180, YOU KNOW, THAT'S A, THAT'S, THAT'S TWICE AS MUCH AS PFA.
I DON'T EVEN KNOW IF I'M RIGHT.
BUT, UM, THAT'S ANOTHER ISSUE.
WE, WE REALLY, WE REALLY DO NEED LOW COST SPAY NEUTER.
AND I THINK, YOU KNOW, A HUNDRED IS PROBABLY THE MOST BEFORE IT REALLY BECOMES A BURDEN.
UM, AND THEN, YOU KNOW, I WANTED TO TELL MR. ROSENTHAL, UM, ONE OF THE IDEAS I'VE HAD THAT I'VE ACTUALLY SEEN EXECUTED AT A VET NEAR MY HOUSE IS SOME OF THESE RETIRED VETS.
THERE'S, THERE'S ONE IN PARTICULAR THAT'S BEEN ASSISTING, I THINK SEEING HUBERT'S ONCE A WEEK.
AND HE DOES, UH, HE GOES TO A VET OFFICE IN MY TOWN.
UNFORTUNATELY IT'S 150 TO, YOU KNOW, FOR THE SAME SERVICES.
BUT THIS IS A VET OFFICE, YOU KNOW, IT'S, IT'S NOT PFA.
SO THERE'S A LOT OF THINGS THAT NEED THAT COULD USE FIXING.
I, I DON'T REALLY KNOW HOW MUCH EVERYBODY HERE CAN HELP WITH, BUT YOU KNOW, THERE, THERE'S A LOT OF ISSUES RIGHT NOW.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR COMMENTS.
BEFORE YOU GO, UM, WHAT IS PFA? YOU SAID THAT A COUPLE OF TIMES.
PEOPLE FOR ANIMALS, ALL IN HILLSIDE.
IT'S A LOW COST SPAY NEUTER CLINIC.
AS FAR AS I KNOW, YOU KNOW, IT'S A BUSINESS THOUGH.
BUT AT LEAST IT'S, YOU KNOW, IT'S AFFORDABLE AND YOU KNOW, THERE, I THINK THERE NEEDS TO BE MORE INFORMATION CIRCULATED ABOUT MORE AFFORDABLE PLACES.
'CAUSE $150 IS GOING TO REALLY JUST BREAK PEOPLE.
ANYONE ELSE? PLEASE STATE YOUR NAME.
UM, MARSH HAS HELPED ME A LOT.
THAT'S WHY I SAID SHE'S A TV STAR.
SHE'S THE ONE WITH THE CAT IN IRVINGTON THAT HAD THE JAR ON ITS NECK.
SHE HAD DOGS THAT WERE RUNNING AROUND.
THIS WOMAN TOOK TWO MONTHS TO CATCH A DOG IN IRVINGTON AND SHE'S GOT THE PICTURE ON HER FACEBOOK SAYING, NEVER GIVE
[00:55:01]
UP.PAM IS A WONDERFUL PERSON FROM, UH, SHE HAS ALWAYS ANSWERED ME, ALWAYS TRY HER BEST.
AND SHE SAID, PLEASE PRESENT TO THE COMMISSIONERS OUR RECOVERY PLACES.
JUST LIKE THE CEO SAID, CEO IS RIGHT.
THEY HAVE TERRIFIC ANIMAL CONTROL OFFICERS.
ONE, I THINK GOT AWARD DID HE NOT SAM CLINTON.
THESE TWO, THESE ANIMAL CONTROLS REALLY CARE.
THEY, THEY EARNED THEIR MONEY IF THEY SEE A, A
WE DON'T HAVE ANIMAL CONTROLS.
THEY'RE DEAD ODED PEOPLE THAT WANNA MAKE A DIFFERENCE.
WE HAD DOG KENNEL IN IRVINGTON.
YOU KNOW WHAT THE, YOU'VE SEEN IT ON IN THE NEWSPAPER.
CAN YOU IMAGINE WHAT HE DID WITH THE CATS AND YET GOT A PAYCHECK FROM IRVINGTON THAT EVEN THE CHECK PERSON THAT GAVE IT TO SAID, YOU KNOW, MAMA AL, THIS GUY DON'T LOOK GREAT.
THERE'S SOMETHING ABOUT HIM THAT SHE WAS RIGHT.
I HAVE TO BE GRATEFUL TO KATHY GATES.
LIKE SHE SAID, MISCOMMUNICATION.
I HAVE MET HER MANY A TIMES IN MAPLEWOOD AND PETSMART.
THE MAYOR SAID TO MARCY, WE WENT TO THE MAYOR'S, YOU KNOW, BREAKFAST.
SHE SAID, WE HAVE NO PROBLEMS IN MAPLE.
AND MARCY SAID, REALLY? MARCY'S WONDERFUL BECAUSE HER DAUGHTER'S GONNA BE A VET SO WE CAN USE HER TIME.
BUT AT THE SAME TOKEN, SERIOUSLY, WITHOUT MARCY AND KA KATHY, OUR CATS WOULD NOT BE DONE.
THEY'RE TAKING IT OUTTA THE POCKET OUTTA HELP ME OUT, MOM, ME OUT.
LIKE SHE SAID, WE NEED THE NETWORKING.
WHY CAN'T TURTLEBACK ZOO RUN A PROGRAM TO ADOPT A CAT? THEY'RE STUCK WITH CATS.
PEOPLE MIGHT TAKE CATS POPUP STORES BECAUSE IF YOU HAVE A POPUP STORE, HOW MUCH IS THAT CAT? HOW MUCH IS THE DOG? BECAUSE THESE ARE DIFFERENT SOLUTIONS.
WE CAN'T DO THE SAME OLD, SAME OLD, YOU KNOW, SPINNING WHEEL.
WELL, WE ARE ALL THE SPOKES IN THE WHEEL.
SO I, I'M GRATEFUL FOR WHAT YOU'RE DOING, BUT I THINK WE HAVE TO HAVE PEOPLE NETWORKING.
THESE ARE ALL 30, 30 SECONDS TAKEN OUTTA PROPERTY AND IT LOOKS LIKE THE CE O'S TRYING AS BEST THAT HE CAN.
WHO WANTS TO GO TO THE NEWARK SHELTER? DO YOU KNOW WHERE IT'S LOCATED? WHY THEY GOT BARBED WIRES UP ON THE ROOF.
WHEN I TALK TO THE MAYOR, HE SAYS, HEY, HEY, HEY, YOU GOT THE SHELTER.
UH, COUNCILMAN PATRICK WENT TO GO VISIT AND SAID, IT'S PERFECT.
I SAID, COULD YOU HELP US? HE SAID, HEY, HE'S DOING A GOOD JOB TO BUILDING UP AND DO.
BUT WE, WE GOT GOOD HITS ALL SET UP.
I SAID, WHAT ABOUT TRACKING? HEY, NOW LET'S GO TIME.
WE'RE DOING WHAT WE'RE DOING INCH BY INCH.
SOME ARE LONG TERM, SOME ARE, PLEASE HELP US.
AND THAT SAID, I DON'T OVER MY TIME, BUT WE'RE BEGGING FOR HELP TOGETHER BECAUSE TEAM WORK MAKES IT BETTER.
AS WE SAY IN ARLINGTON, THE DREAM TEAM WILL CONQUER A LOT.
THANK YOU AGAIN FOR YOUR TIME.
LOVE YOU GUYS FOR COMING AND LISTENING TO ME.
LOVE YOU ROBERT, BECAUSE YOU ARE THE MAN WITH THE MONEY.
I THOUGHT SOMETHING WAS MISSING.
UH, MY NAME IS PATRICIA ANDREW, CAN YOU LIFT OF THE, THERE WE GO.
MY NAME IS PATRICIA ANDREWS WEBB.
I'M THE FOUNDER OF MS. PAT'S KATZ, LOCATED IN EAST ORANGE, NEW JERSEY.
UM, I'VE BEEN DOING TNR FOR ABOUT 30 YEARS.
UM, I CAN'T DO MUCH ANYMORE BECAUSE I'M GETTING OLDER.
IT TAKES A LOT, CARRYING TRAPS, TRANSPORTING TO THE VET, UH, RECOVERY AND THEN RELEASING THEM BACK.
UM, WE DO NEED PEOPLE START TRAINING MORE PEOPLE TO TRAP.
UH, KATHY YATES, SHE'S ANOTHER NONPROFIT, EAST ORANGE.
WE'RE GONNA TRY TO MEET WITH THE MAYOR AND HOPEFULLY WITH YOUR GUIDANCE YOU CAN CONVINCE THE CITY OF EAST ORANGE TO START, UH, TO ALLOW TNR BECAUSE WE HAVE A BIG PROBLEM IN EAST ORANGE.
AND IF IT WASN'T FOR PEOPLE LIKE KATHY AND OTHER INDIVIDUALS, THESE TOWNS WOULD BE ADAM.
YOU GUYS ARE CONFLICTING WITH THE COMMENTS.
UH, WE WOULD HAVE MORE CATS ON THE STREET.
I USED TO USE PFAI I'VE TNR THOUSANDS OF CATS IN MY LIFETIME.
UM, I'VE NEVER SEEN IT SO BAD AS IT IS NOW.
AND I THINK A LOT HAS TO DO WITH THE COST OF FOOD.
[01:00:01]
WITH, UH, WITH ESSEX COUNTY HAVING A FOOD BANK.I KNOW EAST ORANGE ANIMAL LION GIVES OUT FOOD WHEN THEY GIVE OUT THE FOOD PANTRY FOR PETS.
'CAUSE THAT'S PART OF THE PROBLEM.
PEOPLE CAN'T AFFORD TO FEED THEIR PETS.
THEY PUT 'EM OUT SO THEY CAN S SCUNGE, YOU KNOW, SCROUNGE THROUGH GARBAGE.
THEY, THEY GO OUT, THEY COME BACK IN.
THEY'RE PREGNANT PEOPLE GIVING AWAY KITTENS TO PEOPLE JUST WANT A KITTEN BECAUSE IT'S A KITTEN.
WHEN IT BECOMES AN ADULT, THEY START TO SPRAY 'CAUSE THEY HAVE IT NEUTERED THEM AND OUT THE DOOR THEY GO.
OR THE FEMALES ARE IN HEAT AND THEY BUST OUT THE SCREEN.
AND, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE, WE JUST RESCUED THREE PREGNANT CATS IN ONE WEEK AND AT MCCLELLAN STREET AT A BAKERY.
UM, AND WE CAN'T DO THIS ALONE.
I MEAN, THE RESCUES ARE FILLED.
UM, I HELP, UH, UH, OWNERS WITH THEIR PETS TO GET THEM SPAYED SO THEY CAN STAY IN THEIR HOME.
'CAUSE WE CAN'T KEEP TAKING IN PEOPLE'S CATS OWNER SURRENDERS, YOU KNOW, JUST DUMPING THEM.
SO MAYBE A, A PET PANTRY WOULD, WOULD KIND OF HELP THE PROBLEM A LITTLE BIT.
UM, FOR ESSEX COUNTY, LIKE I SAID, EAST ORANGE ANIMAL LINES, THEY, THEY GET A LITTLE FOOD, BUT IT'S NOT ENOUGH.
SO IF PEOPLE KNEW WHERE IN, IN LOW COST SPAY AND NEUTER FOR PEOPLE WHO CAN'T AFFORD TO SPAY THEIR OWN PETS, I THINK THAT WOULD KIND OF HELP THE PROBLEM WITH SO MANY CATS BEING ON THE STREET.
ANYONE ELSE? PLEASE COME TO THE MIC.
STATE YOUR NAME AND AFFILIATION PLEASE.
JERRY ROSENTHAL FROM ASSOCIATED HUMANE SOCIETY.
I JUST WANTED TO ADD A, A COUPLE THINGS LISTENING TO THE COMMENTS THAT WERE COMING HERE.
UH, I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT EVERYONE IS AWARE THAT IF YOU'RE IN ESSEX COUNTY AND YOU BRING YOUR CAT TO PFA, THEY WILL HONOR THE THE PROGRAM.
AND WE'VE, WE ESTABLISHED AFTER LAST YEARS, UH, MEETING, UH, I WORK WITH JEN GUILLAUME, WHO'S THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, AND WE AGREED THAT WE WOULD ADMINISTER IT FOR THEM TO PASS ON THE INFORMATION TO YOU.
SO PEOPLE SHOULD BE AWARE THAT, YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW, MAYBE AT THE FRONT DESK AT P FFA, THEY MAY NOT BE AWARE, BUT SAY I'M FROM ESSEX COUNTY, I WANT TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE PROGRAM.
WHAT DOES THAT MEAN BEFORE YOU CONTINUE? BECAUSE THEY WOULD PROVIDE US THE PAPERWORK TO FORWARD ON TO MATT.
WHAT EXACTLY DOES THAT MEAN? BECAUSE IT SOUNDS LIKE THERE'S SOME MISCOMMUNICATION OR MISINFORMATION SO THAT WE COULD START TO ALL GET ON THE SAME PAGE.
UM, DOES THAT MEAN RATE, LIKE WHATEVER RATE YOU ESTABLISHED, LIKE WHAT DOES THAT MEAN? YEAH, WHATEVER THE RATE, YOU KNOW, WE WOULD SECOND THE PROPOSAL INCREASING THE, UH, RATE THAT WE'RE BEING SUBSIDIZED ON THE, ON THE SURGERIES.
UH, BUT YEAH, THEY SHOULD KNOW THAT IF THEY'RE, IF THE CAT IS FROM ESSEX COUNTY, UH, PFA WILL HONOR THAT.
DO THEY HAVE TO BE IN A AND THEY COME IN LIKE, WELL, YOU HAVE TO WORK WITH JANINE.
UM, THE SECOND THING I WANTED TO OFFER IS, YOU KNOW, SEVERAL OF THE ORGANIZATIONS, UH, TALKED ABOUT NOT HAVING A PLACE, UH, AFTER SURGERY, YOU KNOW, TO, TO HOUSE THE ANIMALS.
UH, DURING OUR CONSTRUCTION PROJECT, WE'VE HAD A TRAILER, WHICH WE WERE ABOUT TO, UH, WE'VE BEEN RENTING AND GIVE BACK.
WE COULD CONTINUE TO HAVE A TRAILER.
IT'S, UH, HEATING, UH, AN AIR CONDITION TO HOLD CATS FOR A, A NIGHT IF WE WERE ABLE TO PASS ON THOSE COSTS THROUGH AS A REIMBURSEMENT FOR LIKE, THE, THE RENTAL OF ANY FOOD OR, UH, AND, UH, UH, YOU KNOW, SUPPLIES, SUPPLIES THAT WE NEED, UH, TO TAKE CARE OF IT.
ANYONE ELSE, LIKE TO MAKE A COMMENT, PLEASE COME TO THE MIC AND STATE YOUR NAME AND AFFILIATION FOR THE RECORD, PLEASE.
UM, I TRAP PRIMARILY IN ORANGE, EAST ORANGE IN NEWARK.
UM, I'D LIKE TO THANK THE COMMISSIONERS FOR THEIR COMMITMENT TO TNR AND COMMUNITY CATS AND SPEAKING WITH OTHER TRAPPERS IN OTHER COUNTIES WITHIN NEW JERSEY.
THE, THIS IS AN EXCEPTION AND A STELLAR MODEL THAT OTHER COUNTIES AND TRAPPERS WITHIN THOSE COUNTIES DON'T HAVE ACCESS TO.
SO I'D LIKE TO THANK THE COMMISSIONER'S COMMITMENT TO TNR AND COMMUNITY CATS.
UM, SOME OF THE CONVERSATIONS THAT HAVE BEEN HAD TODAY SPEAK TO THE NEED TO GO FURTHER FOR, AS AMANDA SAID, FOR COMMUNITY CATS.
BE BECAUSE TNR IS ONE SEGMENT OF CAT CAT WELFARE WITHIN, UH, UH, WITHIN A GEOGRAPHIC AREA.
ONE OF THE THINGS THAT'S A LIMITING FACTOR FOR ALL OF US THAT I THINK YOU'VE HEARD TODAY IS THE ACCESS TO VETERINARY CARE.
WHETHER THAT'S FOR INJURED CATS THAT WE TNR, LOW COST SPAY, SPAY NEUTER SURGERIES FOR OWNED CATS FRIENDLY CATS, WHICH COMPRISE I WOULD SAY ROUGHLY ABOUT 30% OF THE 200 CATS.
SOME ODD THAT I TRAPPED ON MY OWN THROUGHOUT
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THE COURSE OF A YEAR.AND SO I THINK WE NEED TO LOOK AT THIS FROM A POLICY PERSPECTIVE OF HOW WE ATTRACT VETERINARIANS AND VETERINARY PROFESSIONALS TO THIS AREA AND HAVE THAT BE A MODEL FOR OTHER COUNTIES WITHIN NEW JERSEY AND HOPEFULLY ACROSS THE NATION.
ACCORDING TO BEST FRIENDS ANIMAL SOCIETY, 15,000 VETERINARY PROFESSIONALS RETIRE OR SEPARATE FROM SERVICE EVERY YEAR NATIONALLY.
AND ONLY 5,000 ARE BEING PRODUCED, WHETHER THAT'S VET TECHS, VETERINARY ASSISTANCE, OR VETERINARIANS WITHIN THE SAME YEAR.
SO NATIONALLY, WE'RE LOOKING AT A TREMENDOUS SHORTAGE THAT NOT ONLY WILL WE NOT BE ABLE TO GET HELP, PEOPLE FOR THEIR OWN PETS WILL NOT BE ABLE TO GET HELP.
SO IF, IF IT'S SOMETHING ON THE COUNTY LEVEL AND ROLLING UP TO THE STATE LEVEL, POSSIBLY AS A MODEL WHERE MAYBE THERE ARE PERSONAL TAX BREAKS FOR PEOPLE WHO CHOOSE TO WORK IN VETERINARY SERVICES AS A, AS AN OFFRIGHT FOR THEIR PERSONAL TAXES.
MAYBE THERE ARE PROPERTY TAX REBATES FOR CLINICS OR MOBILE OR MOBILE VANS THAT WILL, THAT WILL INITIATE SERVICES WITHIN OTHER AREAS WITHIN THE COUNTY.
WE ARE ALL COMPRESSED INTO THE SAME CHUTE OF LIMITED SURGICAL SPOTS, WHETHER IT'S FOR FRIENDLY CATS, FERAL CATS, COMMUNITY CATS.
THAT IS A LIMITING FACTOR TO ALL OF US.
SO ASKING, YOU KNOW, CAN PEOPLE BE TRAINED TO TRAP? SURE, YOU COULD HAVE A THOUSAND PEOPLE BE TRAINED TO TRAP, BUT IF THERE'S NO SURGICAL SPOTS FOR THEM OR NO PLACE FOR THEM TO GO FOR THOSE SURGERIES, YOU, YOU ARE, YOU'RE, YOU'RE AT A CROSSROADS 30 SECONDS.
ONE OF, ONE OF THE OTHER ISSUES THAT WAS MENTIONED EARLIER IS, AND SOMETHING THAT IS DISCOURAGES PEOPLE TO TRAP IS IF I'M COME ACROSS AN INJURED ANIMAL, WHAT WILL HAPPEN IS THAT CAT CAN BE TNR.
BUT THEN PERSONALLY THOSE COSTS ARE TRANSLATED ONTO ME, WHICH IS SOMETHING THAT I THINK SOME OF THE FUNDS HAVE TO BE RESERVED FOR.
TAIL AMPUTATIONS, ION NUCLEATION INFECTIONS, THOSE TYPES OF THINGS.
I SPOKE WITH THE COMMISSIONER LA UH, WITH THE ADMINISTRATOR LAST TIME.
WE DON'T WANT WHAT'S BEYOND COMMUNITY, WHAT CARE WE WOULD HAVE FOR OUR PERSONAL PETS AND OUR COMPANION ANIMALS, BUT WE WANT THEM TO BE TREATED HUMANELY LIKE ANY OTHER ANIMAL WITHIN OUR CARE.
AND THAT INCLUDES SOMETIMES NECESSARY MEDICAL NEEDS.
ANYONE ELSE? PUBLIC COMMENT JUST TO ADDRESS? UM, MY NAME IS AMANDA.
UM, WE TRAIN CAREGIVERS EVERY WEEK TO TRAP THEIR OWN CATS.
UM, WE WILL, OUR TRAPPERS WILL GO TO THE SITE, TEACH TRAP, UH, CAREGIVERS WHO ARE FEEDING THE CATS, HOW TO TRAP THEIR OWN CATS AND LIKE SHANNON SAID THERE IS A PIPELINE, THERE IS A LIMITED NUMBER OF SPOTS.
WE WERE BACKLOGGED UP TO SIX MONTHS AT A TIME.
WE ARE DOING OUR BEST AND THE NUMBER OF CATS THAT WE'RE SEEING IS ONLY GOING TO GROW.
UM, AND I ALSO WANTED TO THANK YOU ALL FOR CONSIDERING OUR, UH, PROPOSAL TODAY.
HI, THIS IS MARSHA SANFORD AGAIN.
I JUST WANTED TO BRING UP A POINT, ESPECIALLY 'CAUSE I HEARD THIS THE OTHER DAY.
AGAIN, MIGHT BE THE WRONG FORUM, BUT I'M HEARING A LOT OF STORIES, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE OF EVERYTHING THAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING, PEOPLE ARE DUMPING, PEOPLE ARE MOVING OUT OF APARTMENTS AND LEAVING CATS BEHIND, LOCKED UP, AND THEN PEOPLE CALL THE POLICE.
PEOPLE CALL ANIMAL CONTROL AND ARE TOLD, SORRY, THERE'S NOTHING WE COULD DO.
AND THAT'S FORCING PEOPLE LIKE MYSELF TO LITERALLY BREAK INTO PEOPLE'S HOMES TO GET THE CATS OUT BECAUSE THEY'RE CRYING.
WE SEE THEM THROUGH THE WINDOWS AND NOBODY WILL HELP.
I, YOU KNOW, I DON'T UNDERSTAND HOW THE POLICE AND HOW ANIMAL CONTROL CAN EVER SAY THERE'S NOTHING WE COULD DO.
UM, I BELIEVE HER NAME IS MARSHA.
SHE MENTIONED HER NAME AND AFFILIATION.
UH, TRAPPER, UM, I BELIEVE MARSHA REFERENCED EARLIER ANOTHER VETERINARY CLINIC, LOW-COST, SPAY NEUTER OPTION THAT CLOSED RECENTLY ABRUPTLY, UH, TWIN OAKS IN BERGEN COUNTY.
SO YOU WOULD HAVE TRAPPERS THAT WOULD GO, AGAIN, THIS IS NOT BECAUSE THERE'S SUCH DEMAND ALL OVER THE PLACE.
THERE WAS A CASCADE EFFECT FROM TWIN OAKS CLOSING THE FOLKS WHO WOULD NORMALLY GO THERE BECAUSE THEY'RE CLOSER TO THAT SIDE OF THE COUNTY NOW EVERYBODY GOES TO PFA.
SO THE ONE CAT PER DAY INTAKE, ONE FERAL AND A TRAP THAT THEY WILL TAKE MONDAY THROUGH THURSDAY.
THEY HAD TO TURN PEOPLE AWAY, EVEN PEOPLE THAT WERE WAITING FOR HOURS.
SO NOW YOU HAVE AN ISSUE OF WHAT DO I DO WITH THIS CAT THAT NOW HAS TO BE IN THE TRAP? I HAVE TO COME BACK THE NEXT DAY, WHICH YOU'VE WORKED AROUND YOUR WORK SCHEDULE OR WHATEVER, PERSONAL CONSTRAINTS.
SO THAT'S WHY, IN TERMS OF A MORE GLOBAL OR
[01:10:01]
REGIONAL APPROACH, THAT YOU DO GET THOSE, THOSE FACTORS FROM OTHER, OTHER COUNTIES, OTHER TOWNS IMPRESSING UPON THE RESOURCES THAT ARE HERE WITHIN ESS ESSEX COUNTY.THE OTHER THING, UM, IN TERMS OF THE A CO, I'M WORKING WITH A HOARDER SITUATION RIGHT NOW IN NEWARK WHERE THERE'S APPROXIMATELY 35 CATS.
THE A CO, MY CURRENT UNDERSTANDING HAS TO BE INVITED INTO THE HOME IN ORDER TO REMEDIATE THIS SITUATION.
SO I, AS A TRAPPER, AM NOW IN A SITUATION WHERE I'M OUT OF MY DEPTH.
I KNOW THE CATS ARE IN JEOPARDY.
IF THEY TAKE THEM IN THE HOUSE, THEY PUT THEM OUTTA THE HOUSE, THEY TAKE THEM IN THE HOUSE, THEY PUT THEM OUTTA THE HOUSE.
SO AGAIN, IT, IT BECOMES A QUESTION OF POLICY AS TO HOW THIS IS EFFECTUATED.
MS. PAT HAD MENTIONED ALSO THE POLICIES WITHIN THE COUNTY TOWN BY TOWN TO ALLOW TRAPPING, FEEDING, THINGS LIKE THAT.
IT'S A PATCHWORK ACROSS THE DIFFERENT TOWNS AND PEOPLE PUT THEMSELVES IN PERSONAL JEOPARDY OR, OR POSSIBLE, YOU KNOW, THERE'S A FEAR FACTOR FROM SOME PEOPLE TO INITIATE TRAPPING OR FEEDING OR SUPPORT OF THE COMMUNITY CATS BECAUSE THEY'RE RE THEY'RE AFRAID OF REPERCUSSIONS FROM WHEN PEOPLE DO CALL ECO.
BECAUSE QUITE FRANKLY, IN SOME MUNI MUNICIPALITIES, THE A CO WOULD RATHER HARASS THE TRAPPER THAN GO AFTER THE PERSON WHO IS CAUSING THE PROBLEM IN THE FIRST PLACE.
BECAUSE YOU'RE BRINGING THIS TO BRINGING THIS SITUATION TO LIGHT RATHER THAN HELPING REMEDIATE THE SITUATION.
IT'S EASIER TO MAKE THE TRAPPER GO AWAY RATHER THAN TO MAKE THE SITUATION GO AWAY.
SO SOME OF THIS IS A QUESTION OF LOOKING AT THE POLICIES FOR WHICH, YOU KNOW, WE ARE ALL AT THE EFFECT OF THAT DOES DO NOT SERVE NECESSARILY OUR GOALS AND MISSIONS AND THE COMMUNITY CATS.
UM, I, I JUST WANT TO COMMENT ON THAT BECAUSE THIS IS SOMETHING THAT ADDS TO OUR PROBLEM, THAT ADDS TO THE PROBLEM OF THE CATS ON THE STREET.
SO I'M JUST WONDERING WHO WE MIGHT BE ABLE TO TALK TO TO PUT SOME KIND OF LAW INTO EFFECT THAT PEOPLE CAN'T LEAVE.
I MEAN, IF SOMEONE MOVES OUT OF AN APARTMENT WITH THEIR CAT BEHIND, WE KNOW WHO THAT PERSON IS.
I WAS TOLD BY SOMEONE WHO USED TO WORK IN HOUSING IN IRVINGTON THAT THE PEOPLE MOVE OUT OF TOWN.
SO YOU CAN'T, THERE'S NO WAY YOU CAN GO AFTER THEM BECAUSE THEY'RE, THEY'RE OUT OF YOUR JURISDICTION.
BUT COULD WHO COULD WE TALK TO TO CREATE SOME KIND OF A LAW THAT CAN HELP US STOP THIS KIND OF THING? STOP PEOPLE FROM JUST JUMPING THEIR CATS AS THEY MOVE.
THAT WOULD, THAT WOULD HELP A LOT WITH THIS PROBLEM.
UM, HI LESLIE GILMAN FROM SOMA FOR ANIMALS.
THIS WAS SOMETHING I WAS JUST THINKING ABOUT.
UM, THEY'RE ACTUALLY, GOVERNOR MARK MURPHY SIGNED A VERY STRONG ANIMAL PROTECTION, UH, LAWS INTO MAYBE IN 2022.
AND THE PROBLEM IS THE, UM, THEIR ANTI CRUELTY LAWS THAT WOULD ACTUALLY, THAT'S ILLEGAL IN THE STATE.
ABANDONING ANIMALS, LEAVING ANIMALS OUT, UM, IN, IN ADVERSE WEATHER, EITHER TOO HOT OR TOO COLD.
WHO REINFORC THE, THAT'S THE PROBLEM.
EACH POLICE DEPARTMENT IS SUPPOSED TO HAVE A HUMANE OFFICER WHO, WHO IS IN CHARGE OF THIS.
SO IF YOU HEAR A DOG, IF YOU HEAR A DOG CRYING ON A VERY COLD DAY OR A VERY HOT DAY, YOU FIGURE OUT WHAT HOUSE IT IS.
YOU CALL THE POLICE DEPARTMENT, THEY SEND A OFFICER UP, THE PROPERTY IS LOCKED, THEY CAN'T GET IN TO GET TO THAT ANIMAL, THEY'LL LEAVE.
AND SO THE, THE ISSUE IS THAT THE LAW SET THESE VERY STRONG STRINGENT LAWS THAT HAVE BEEN SIGNED INTO EFFECT CANNOT BE ENACTED ON.
AND I FEEL LIKE THERE'S A LACK OF EDUCATION THAT'S BEEN DISSEMINATED DOWN TO THE, TO THE TOWNS, TO THE, UH, ADMINISTRATORS IN TOWNS AND TO THEIR POLICE OFFICERS OR THE HUMANE OFFICER OR THE ACOS, WHOEVER IS IN CHARGE.
IT SEEMS LIKE THERE REALLY NEEDS TO BE SOME KIND OF OVERARCHING EDUCATION THAT GOES OUT.
AND I KNOW THAT'S NOT REALLY PART OF THIS TNVR, BUT IN A WAY IT IS.
IT'S KIND OF LIKE ANOTHER, ANOTHER FACET OF THIS ISSUE.
AND A LOT OF IT IS JUST A LACK OF CLEAR INFORMATION THAT PEOPLE CAN, CAN, CAN, UH, GET TO IN ONE WAY OR ANOTHER.
BUT IT'S ALSO OUR ADMINISTRATION.
I FEEL LIKE I'VE BEEN IN POSITIONS MANY TIMES WHERE I'VE TAKEN THOSE SET OF LAWS THAT GOVERNOR MURPHY SIGNED.
I'VE DOWNLOADED THEM, MADE A PDF AND EMAILED 'EM TO, YOU KNOW, OUR TOWN PRESIDENT TO, TO MAKE WOODS MAYORS OR TO THE POLICE DEPARTMENT.
I'VE HAD TO DO THIS ON MANY, MANY OCCASIONS AND THEY ACT LIKE THEY DON'T KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT IT.
[01:15:02]
YOU KNOW, THERE ARE A LOT OF LAWS THAT THEY HAVE TO BE ON TOP OF.SO I I 30 SECONDS UNDERSTAND WHY MAYBE THEY DON'T KNOW ABOUT THIS ONE SET OF RULES, BUT, UM, ANYWAY, THAT I JUST FEEL LIKE WE NEED TO DO A BETTER JOB OF EDUCATION.
PATRICIA ANDREWS, WE, MS. PATS KATZ, TWIN OHS WILL BE REOPENED ON JUNE THE FIFTH IF ANYBODY DIDN'T KNOW FOR A LOT MORE MONEY THOUGH, RIGHT? YEAH.
AND YOU CAN'T BRING AS MANY CATS IN AS YOU USED TO.
YOU USED TO BRING ABOUT 10 CATS IN, BUT IT STILL COSTS.
SO I WANNA THANK EVERYONE FOR COMING OUT AND SHARING ALL OF THE INFORMATION THAT YOU SHARED WITH US.
I WANT TO THANK THE TWO VENDORS THAT THE COUNTY WORK WITH, THE ASSOCIATED HUMANE SOCIETY AND SEA PAW FOR THE WORK THAT YOU'VE DONE FOR US IN 2023.
AND I LOOK FORWARD TO MORE CATS BEING SERVED, THE MORE COMMUNITIES BEING SERVED IN 2024.
REMEMBER, THE MORE WORK THAT WE DO, THE MORE COMMUNITIES THAT WE IMPACT HELPS TO ADVOCATE FOR MORE FUNDING BEING ALLOWED IT TO THIS IMPORTANT TOPIC.
YOU ALL SHARED A LOT OF INFORMATION WITH US TODAY, SO WE HAVE TO TAKE A LOT OF THAT BACK AND SYNTHESIZE IT AND RESEARCH IT AND SEE EXACTLY WHAT OUR BODY CAN DO AND WHAT, WHAT WE CAN AND CANNOT DO FOR THE POWERS THAT WE HAVE UNDER THIS COMMITTEE.
SO PLEASE STAY TUNED FOR OUR NEXT MEETING.
DON'T BE AFRAID TO EMAIL US, UM, ANY OF YOUR INFORMATION, COMMENTS, CONCERNS, IDEAS.
I WANT TO THANK YOU FOR THE GOALS AND RECOMMENDATIONS THAT YOU GAVE TO US.
I WILL DISCUSS THIS CERTAINLY INTERNALLY WITH THE ADMINISTRATION AND MY FELLOW COMMISSIONERS TO SEE WHAT CAN WE DO, UM, TO DO MORE AROUND THIS TOPIC.
UM, I WANT EVERYBODY TO KEEP IN MIND THAT IF YOU RECALL, THREE OR FOUR YEARS AGO, WE HAD ZERO FUNDING FOR THIS TOPIC.
AND SO, UM, THE WORK THAT WE HAVE DONE HAS BEEN ACCOMPLISHED WITH THE HELP AND THE SUPPORT OF ADMINISTRATION, MR. JACKSON AND HIS TEAM, AND THE COUNTY EXECUTIVE AND MY FELLOW COMMISSIONERS BECAUSE WE BAND TOGETHER AND SAW THE IMPORTANCE OF THIS TOPIC.
YOU KNOW, SHE CONSTANTLY REMINDS ME ABOUT THAT OLD SAYING THAT THE SQUEAKY WHEEL GETS THE OIL FOR A REASON BECAUSE THAT NOISE BECOME IRRITATING AND WE WANNA SHUT IT UP, RIGHT
SO WE, WE PUT SOMETHING TO IT TO REALLY ADDRESS THE SQUEAKING.
SO AGAIN, PLEASE, UM, PAY ATTENTION TO OUR NEXT MEETING.
REACH OUT FOR US, REACH OUT TO THE ORGANIZATIONS THAT YOU HEARD FROM TODAY TO NETWORK WITH ONE ANOTHER SO THAT WE COULD ALL BE MORE IMPACTFUL TO THE ADMINISTRATION.
DO YOU HAVE ANY OTHER COMMENTS, CONCERNS, QUESTIONS? UM, NO MA'AM.
COMMISSIONER GRAHAM, DO YOU HAVE ANY COMMENTS? NO.
SO WITH THAT BEING SAID, ALL HEARTS AND MINDS ARE CLEAR.
I WANT TO ADJOURN THIS MEETING.
UM, OUR NEXT MEETING WILL PROBABLY ABOUT TWO, THREE MONTHS FROM NOW AND WE'LL HAVE MORE UPDATES AND MAYBE SOME MOVEMENT AROUND SOME OF THESE TOPICS.