Brooklawn Cat Woman Given A Reprieve
By Linda Boker-Angelo
NEWS Correspondent
Brooklawn resident Jennifer Smith and her foster felines were granted a reprieve last week after the Borough Council decided that Smith will not be forced to comply with a local pet ordinance until next month.
Smith is a member of Furrever Friends, a small, non-profit animal rescue organization, based in Woodbury, which operates out of the homes of volunteers. The group has no shelter, so homeless animals are housed at member’s homes across South Jersey.
The town Board of Health notified Smith in July, following a complaint by an anonymous neighbor, that she was in violation of the ordinance, which allows a maximum of three animals per household. Smith currently has 10 cats in her Haakon Road home, including her own two pets.
Smith and several Friends members requested last month that she be given a special permit so that she may continue doing what the group considers to be a community service.
“I can’t see changing the ordinance for one person,” said Paris Avenue resident Elaine Hill, whose gardens have been plagued by stray and roaming cats. “The law is the law.”
After considerable discussion, Council determined that the pet ordinance will remain as it was passed, without amendment.
Council members suggested that Smith apply to the Borough Planning Board for a land use variance and site plan approval so that she can obtain a permit to run a kennel, which would allow her to continue housing the animals.
Smith would need the Planning Board’s approval to use her home, which is zoned as residential property, for a “commercial” venture.
The governing body agreed to hold off on enforcing the ordinance until after the Board meets on October 11.
