Shelter In Crisis As 39 Cats, 46 Dogs Rescued In Somerset County

BRIDGEWATER, NJ — The Somerset Regional Animal Shelter(SRAS) in Bridgewater is in desperate need of help after they took in 39 cats and 46 dogs. To top it off their washers and dryers are now broken.

"We are packed," said SRAS Director Brian Bradshaw.

Bradshaw said the shelter took in 34 cats in two days and another five more on Monday. Additionally, the shelter also took in 26 dogs in two days and another 20 dogs the week before.

The pets were taken in to help other overrun shelters. Shelters are experiencing an influx in cats due to kitten season, otherwise known as breeding season, which takes place during warm months.

"Kitten season started slow but it is hitting us hard now," said Bradshaw.

Bradshaw said the shelter is looking for volunteers to help foster the cats specifically homes that can bottle feed the kittens.

The dogs recently taken in were flown in from Louisana and Kentucky following a hoarding incident, said Bradshaw.

With more pets brings more laundry as the shelter goes through towels and blankets regularly. And as luck would have it, the shelter's washers and dryers are broken. The shelter started a fundraiser through GoFundMe to raise $6,000 to replace the commercial-grade equipment.

Right now Bradshaw said volunteers are taking the laundry home and washing them in their own homes or paying to have them washed at laundrymats.

"It is not an ideal situation," said Bradshaw.

Each year the shelter takes in more than 1,500 animals that require food, water, shelter, medical care, and clean bedding.

"Now it's kitten season — and we are struggling to keep up with unending mounds of laundry that must be washed and sanitized to keep our pets (and us!) happy and healthy," the shelter shared. "This expense is huge and unexpected — and not in our budget. We must therefore issue this emergency plea for help. We must replace these machines as soon as possible to meet the standard of care we deem necessary for a safe, healthful environment."

Anyone interested in donating toward the new washer and dryer can visit the GoFundMe link here. Anyone interested in fostering or to learn more about the shelter can call 908-725-0308 or visit srasnj.org.

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