Plainfield is joining the ranks of towns using dog kennels as long distance animal control.
Above: Person on foot leaving kittens on front porch of PAHS. News story and photo source here.
Many of you are aware of the trouble in Plainfield after the city elected to end its contract with Plainfield Area Humane Society at the end of 2023. The changes made:
An impound facility in Mahwah, NJ - over one hour away from Plainfield by car, no mention of space for cats
No intake or surrender of cats at PAHS (no contract)
A lip service contract with Aranwood Kennels that included adherence to these standards issued by the state Department of Health. A copy of the contract is here:
By location alone, the kennel does not comply with the best practices. There is no way for a facility over an hour away to provide adequate animal control services to a densely populated city with countless roaming dogs and cats. According to mycentraljersey, PAHS ended its contract with Plainfield "because of the costs caring for the large number of dogs received from the city and the limited funds provided by Plainfield."
On February 28, 2024, Aranwood Kennels became the subject of news stories with arrests following allegations and evidence of animal abuse.
Plainfield has recently executed the contract below with yet another dog kennel, The Title Shot LLC, this time 40 miles and 50 minutes away. The contract is below, with an end date of April 31, 2024. We are aware this date does not exist and have requested the current contract and arrangement for animal control.
The new contract states the following regarding TNR and feral cats:
What does "handled" mean? There is no additional information. It could mean:
release the cat unfixed to breed and avoid future trapping.
unlawful acts such as releasing the cat in new territory.
anything at all - as the contract does not specify any details.
The company's website includes a photo of a cardboard box full of puppies available for $1,800 each but no information on cat boarding or holding facilities. We have requested the inspection records from Rockaway township to find out more about their capacity for cat impoundment. We have also requested through OPRAMachine the intake logs and current contract, and the request and any updates can be viewed here.
Bottom line: Plainfield is a city with a dense population and many unfixed cats, similar to its neighboring towns in Union and Somerset counties. The answer is not a dog kennel 45 minutes away and ambiguous animal control contracts. The answer is an adequately sized open admission municipal shelter and enforcement of laws that prohibit animal cruelty and enjoyment of property. Plainfield residents: your town is spending $13,000 a month for a dog kennel and boilerplate contract that checks boxes. If no one cares or demands more, it will continue to affect property values and quality of life for both humans and animals.
Dog kennels should not be the substitute for adequate municipal animal control and impound facilities. Demand lawful animal control from your town.
I feel like these shelters are just "winging it". They have no plan and I experienced employees!
Thank you for your tireless work in keeping NJ accountable.