By Giovanna Scaglione
Correspondent
EASEL Animal Rescue League in Ewing Township is currently housing more than 13 dogs in its kennels, which is above capacity, but the shelter is still accepting new animals because of the sheer number of strays and surrendered animals coming in over the last year.
According to the staff of the animal shelter, an increasing number of people who cannot afford to keep their animals anymore because of unstable living conditions, financial problems and increasing veterinary bills are the reasons for the overcapacity.
"It's a crisis." said Lori Cima, director of EASEL.
EASEL Animal Rescue League, Shelter, & Pet Adoption, located in Ewing, is partnered with the Ewing Township government to house strays from the town. According to the management of the animal shelter, all of the dogs currently housed in the shelter are strays from Ewing.
The shelter has requests for new intakes coming in every day. Jannet Lopez, the receptionist of the shelter, said she sometimes gets calls from people who are in crisis because of their unstable living conditions.
"I'm homeless," Lopez said, describing the calls she receives. "I'm living in my car with my dogs and my cats. People don't even have food for themselves, let alone food for their pets." Staff say landlord regulations also force people to give up their pets.
“Many folks are moving, and landlords won’t allow animals,” Lopez said. “Sometimes they say a kid is allergic to them, and that’s it. They don’t look for other alternatives.” Cima said that increasing costs of veterinary care also play a role.
“When a cat or a dog gets sick, it can be thousands,” she said. “You have to run a lot of tests, and that can get expensive.” Cima said that some people feel they have no other choice but to give up their pets when they can no longer afford veterinary care.
“Financial constraints affect most families,” she said. “It’s a choice between keeping your pets or feeding your family.” To reduce animal overpopulation, EASEL offers a low-cost spay and neuter service. It also has a trap-neuter-return service.
“Backyard breeders and accidental litters also contribute to the problem,” Cima said. “There is a breeding ban in Trenton, but there isn’t in Ewing,” she explained. “It all adds up.”
The shelter is also expanding its adoption outreach efforts to help relieve the overcrowding. It is hosting adoption events at Petco in Hamilton and East Windsor, and working with local businesses such as Rosedale Mills, Bucks on Bridge and Bag of Bones, according to the staff.
“We’ve started holding more adoption events and making them a part of our monthly plans,” Lopez said.
Cima pointed out that overcrowding is not unique to Mercer County.
“It isn’t just here,” she said. “It’s happening across the United States.”
A local example of the medical and financial burdens shelters face is Nacho Fry, a senior cat. Lopez explained that the cat was picked up in Philadelphia and put on a time-stamped list at another shelter because of its medical issues, including Feline Immunodeficiency Virus and dental disease.
“He had several medical problems that had to be treated before he could be ready for adoption,” Lopez said.
Staff said they took Nacho Fry in and paid for the cat’s medical treatment. It is currently under consideration for adoption.
“We put in the effort and the money to help them recover so they aren’t forgotten,” Lopez said.
Those who have adopted pets from the shelter understand the pressure they’re under. Maria Thompson, a resident of Ewing, adopted a stray dog from EASEL last year after attending an event at Rosedale Mills. Thompson had originally intended to “just look,” but she went home with a dog.
“They told me he was a stray from Ewing,” Thompson said. “I realized if I didn’t adopt him, he would just be occupying one of those limited kennels.”
Thompson noted that the process did involve an application.
“They made sure I was prepared,” Thompson said. “It wasn’t just handing over a dog. They care about where these animals go.”
Cima said that adoption is a clear way to reduce the problem of overcrowding.
“Whenever a store sells a puppy, there’s a shelter worker holding a healthy dog who ran out of time because of crowding,” she said.
Due to the constant requests for intake, the staff at the shelter reminded people that support is necessary to alleviate some of the pressure on its 13 kennels.
“It affects us too,” she said. “It’s tough.”
