The Camden County Animal Shelter has your new best friend
Thursday, December 23, 2010
By Freeholder Jeffrey L. Nash
The holiday season is the perfect time of year to gather around family and those closest to your heart, and also to spread that love and compassion to others who are in need. There are food drives, coat drives, and charitable donations of all kinds. I hope that everyone takes a moment this year to remember those less fortunate and find a way that works for you to give back. For my family, that included remembering our four-legged friends.
Norman (Photo) is the newest addition to our family. He’s a 10-month-old black lab mix we adopted on Thursday from the Camden County Animal Shelter and we couldn’t be more excited about him. I wanted to take a moment to share with you why we adopted and why it’s important for anyone looking for a new pet to consider adoption a pet who is in the animal shelter.
Norman was picked up as a stray in Camden City and he’s possibly the most lovable dog you could ever meet. But he’s just one of more than 700 animals currently in the care of the shelter who are full of love and waiting for someone to come bring them home.
There’s a beagle named Humphrey who I’m pretty sure doesn’t know how to stop licking your face. Then there’s a pit bull I saw that uses his head to show off some impeccable soccer skills. I found out that the shelter has taken in almost 1,900 dogs and more than 3,000 cats in the last year. I have a new-found appreciation for everything those volunteers do to match the animals with new families. Charlene Trainor was really good at matching Norman with our family and all of the volunteers who work there are very passionate about what they do. It’s amazing and they really do deserve a lot of credit. One staff member said to me, “This is not my job. It is my mission!” That says it all.
For me, I have found that there’s a companionship in having a dog that’s hard to describe. A dog can become your best friend and so much more. They have the power to complete your family. My son Adam and I saw Norman and it was love at first lick.
This is a great time of year to check out the shelter because there’s an adoption promotion going on through Jan. 5. Any animal that has been at the shelter for more than 60 days has a reduced adoption fee – just $25 for cats and $60 for dogs. All of the pets are up to date on vaccines, spayed or neutered, and microchipped before adoption. The shelter is located at 125 County House Road in Blackwood and can be reached at (856) 401-1300.
So this holiday season, I encourage you to stop by and take a look at the many beautiful cats and dogs they have available. Do you have a little room in your heart for a new addition to your family?