A ribbon cutting is set for Oct. 21. A Clear the Shelter event is scheduled throughout the weekend where adoption fees will be waived.
Burlington County Freeholder Director Bruce Garganio has announced that the 2,400 square-foot expansion project at the Burlington County Animal Shelter in Westampton has been completed.
The county is inviting the community to attend a special ribbon cutting celebration at 11:30 a.m. on Saturday, Oct. 21 at the shelter to celebrate completion of the project.
Immediately following the ribbon cutting, the Burlington County Animal Shelter will be hosting a “Clear the Shelter Weekend.” Adoption fees for all of the animals at the shelter will be waived on Saturday, Oct. 21 and Sunday, Oct. 22 for approved applicants.
Currently, there are 115 animals in the shelter available for adoption.
“The Freeholder Board and I are thrilled to unveil the new expansion at the Burlington County Animal Shelter to the community,” Garganio said. “We hope everyone will come out to the ribbon cutting and return home with a new family member.”
The shelter expansion, which was completed in less than a year, features new user-friendly electronic displays, three new community cat rooms that will hold up to 10 felines and allow them to get out of their cages and interact with one another, upgrades to the dog runs and a pet drop-off office. Prospective adopters will be able to meet animals in separate “greeting rooms”, meant to reduce the stress level for animals and give visitors a more personal interaction.
“The modern upgrades we have done offer a more comfortable experience for our residents and will lead to more adoptions, meeting our ongoing goal of finding forever homes for all of the wonderful cats and dogs in our shelter,” Garganio said. “As freeholder director, and a pet owner myself, I am proud to be part of a community that does so much for its animals.”
County officials also noted the past two months have been “very eventful” at the Burlington County Animal Shelter. The shelter participated in national recovery efforts by taking in shelter dogs from Texas and Puerto Rico that had been displaced by Hurricanes Harvey and Maria, respectively.
“This was first time the county acted as a relief shelter for animals displaced from disaster zones,” Garganio said. “Thanks to our devoted staff, volunteers, and the overwhelming support of our animal community, we were able to bring in 10 shelter dogs from Texas and 23 shelter dogs from Puerto Rico.”
The Burlington County Animal Shelter has become the go-to place in Burlington County for pet adoptions. Last year saw a record-breaking 2,751 animals adopted or rescued at the shelter.
“By expanding the shelter, we can continue this trend and better serve the residents, animals, and the hard-working shelter staff and volunteers of Burlington County,” Garganio said.
The Burlington County Animal Shelter is located at 35 Academy Drive in Westampton, behind the Burlington County Library. The shelter is open noon to 4 p.m. every day except Thursday, when it is open noon to 7 p.m. For more information, call (609) 265–5073 or visit http://www.co.burlington.nj.us/168/Animal-Shelter.
