Gloucester County Animal Shelter improperly euthanized 300 cats, state says

NEW JERSEY -- The Gloucester County Animal Shelter euthanized numerous cats and dogs in 2015 before the state-mandated holding period had expired, according to a report by a state inspector.

An Oct. 21 visit by a Department of Health inspector found that 312 cats, 71 dogs and one domestic rabbit had been euthanized this year before their legally required seven-day holding period was complete, and that some of the animals at the facility were not scanned for a microchip.

Furthermore, many cats that were put down had been euthanized with an injection into the body cavity rather than the required intravenous injection.

Those incidents all occurred between Jan. 2 and Oct. 9, and the inspection was conducted just after a 2-year-old house cat named Moe was put to sleep before owners could claim the animal. The health department said on Monday that the Oct. 21 visit had been prompted by a private complaint, but did not specify on the nature of the complaint.

Last year, Gloucester County was among the top five counties in the state for number of cats euthanized, and had the highest overall rate of euthanasia for cats. A new spay-neuter clinic and continuing educational programs in the county aim to reduce the number of animals brought to the shelter by controlling the population.

RIP Moe

The report also details several problems relating to disease control. In one instance, a kitten showing signs of communicable disease was not properly isolated from the general cat population, and in another, the inspector found that a dishwasher used for cleaning food pans was not being run hot enough to fully disinfect the dishes.

Three "repeat deficiencies," first recorded in 2009, appear in the October report. Animal shelters are required to have a disease control program written by a veterinarian, but Gloucester County has not had one in place for the past several years. The inspector also said the shelter was housing cats in their enclosures, one after another, without disinfecting the space between occupants — another problem that had previously been reported — and that animals were not being examined by a vet often enough.

County spokeswoman Deb Sellitto said that Director Bill Lombardi was not in the building at the time of the Oct. 21 visit, but that "the items were either all remedied or in the process of being remedied."

The single largest issue — the holding period — has been under review ever since the September death of Moe.

"All animals do go to the vet, but a written [disease control] procedure is being drafted," said Sellitto. She added that a manufacturer's test found the dishwasher at the facility works properly, and that it is now run at the required temperature.

Sellitto also directly responded to a blog post on the animal rights blog NJ Animal Observer, which referred to Gloucester County's shelter as "god awful."

"It is truly an unfair evaluation to say that the director and staff of the animal shelter are cruel. The staff of the GCAS are dedicated to animals. Otherwise they would not be working there," said Sellitto. "Bill Lombardi and his staff go above and beyond every day for the animals that are surrendered to the shelter, by working hard to find them loving and caring homes so they are not brought back to the shelter. They are out in the community educating school students about how to be responsible pet owners so they grow up knowing what it means to properly care for and treat an animal. Many of the staff foster animals in their own homes until they can be adopted."

As of Nov. 30, more than 1,000 pets in 2015 found homes from the Gloucester County Animal Shelter, either by way of being privately adopted or taken in by rescue groups, according to county officials. That number included 251 dogs, 680 cats and 85 other pets.

(NJ.com - December 15, 2015)