Dogs Rescued From Puerto Rico Arrive at St. Hubert's

St. Hubert’s Animal Welfare Center in Madison, New Jersey is helping find homes for dogs and cats rescued from earthquake-ravaged Puerto Rico. The pets were evacuated from damaged, overcrowded shelters to make room for other animals displaced by the quakes.

On January 19, an emergency transport flight carried 116 shelter animals from Puerto Rico to Florida, Delaware and New Jersey. 140 shelter animals were evacuated on a second flight on February 9. The flights also dropped off disaster relief supplies on the island. We thank Wings of Rescue, GreaterGood.org and The Sato Project for flying these life-saving missions.

Some 60 dogs and cats came to New Jersey on the two transport flights into Morristown Airport. St. Hubert’s and our partner shelters are finding them new loving homes in New Jersey and around the northeast.

Helping animals in need after natural disasters is an important mission for St. Hubert’s. We welcomed animals from Puerto Rico after the devastation of Hurricane Maria, and helped animals in the wake of Hurricanes Harvey and Irma as well.

St. Hubert’s Animal Welfare Center Names Chief Executive

Humane Rescue Alliance president and CEO Lisa LaFontaine today announced that she has named Michelle Thevenin to the position of chief operating officer to lead St. Hubert’s Animal Welfare Center and help bridge between the organization’s operations in New Jersey and Washington, DC. Thevenin will act as the primary executive for St. Hubert’s, overseeing daily operations.

Thevenin is deeply committed to growing St. Hubert’s best-in-class WayStation transport program and building capacity to help more animals and people. She understands the animal populations and differing needs of shelters in the north and south, having run both a well-resourced destination shelter and an overwhelmed source shelter (the Monadnock Humane Society in New Hampshire and Humane Society of Greater Savannah in Georgia, respectively). She is committed to growing the WayStation and building capacity to help more animals and people.

“Michelle Thevenin is deeply passionate about our mission and has a history of building organizations by inspiring her colleagues,” said LaFontaine. “I look forward to a productive 2020 as we finalize the post-merger integration, and a bright, impactful, and powerful future for the unified organization with Michelle on our team.”

“I’m delighted to join such a dedicated team,” said Thevenin. “I’m looking forward to being part of the next chapter in our long history of fostering a compassionate community.”

Michelle has relocated to Morristown, New Jersey, with her animals – three rescue dogs and a 17-year-old cat. She enjoys hiking with her dogs and is looking forward to exploring the green spaces in New Jersey.

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St. Hubert's Kitten Nursery Highlighted on NJ.com

Take a heartwarming behind the scenes look at the lifesaving work happening 'round the clock inside our Kitten Nursery.

Story by Lori M. Nichols | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com

Credit: (Lori M. Nichols | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com)

Tucked away in the back corner of St. Hubert's Animal Welfare Center is a small room in which miracles happen every week, if not on a daily basis. The gentle hum of nebulizers and incubators can be heard alongside calming music in the otherwise quiet room, until a chorus of squeaky meows takes over at each feeding time.

Welcome to the Kitten Nursery, otherwise known as the neonatal intensive care unit, or NICU.

Meet Lucas

Pictured at left, Lucas was non-responsive on intake at the Kitten Nursery at St. Hubert's Animal Welfare Center in Madison. Pictured at right, Lucas after being stabilized on day 1.

Lucas arrived at the Kitten Nursery unresponsive, covered in maggots and totally emaciated. "It was crazy how skinny he was," said nursery manager Samantha Friedman, who has been a veterinary technician for approximately 18 years.

He was found lying on the side of a driveway, alone. His eyes were infected and scarred from being eaten by maggots.

Following three weeks of intensive care, his infections are gone. He still spends his days in an incubator, and goes home with Friedman at night because he's still being bottle-fed and needs to eat every four hours.

"Now he's a thriving, robust fatty boy," said Friedman. "I already have several people interested in (adopting) him, but he has another month to go."

'Fight for the little guys'

The Kitten Nursery opened in April, three years after the idea was born. Friedman had gotten in trouble for parking in the fire zone because she was bringing 10 carriers of sick or neonatal kittens to her home at night and bringing them back each morning for her next shift.

"We can't rely on me and two other vet techs to shlep them home and stay up all night," she said, describing how the idea came about. "We're St. Hubert's, let's have a nursery."

Friedman spoke with former president Heather Cammisa, and together with other staff members and volunteers, got the ball of yarn rolling to "fight for the little guys," the motto Friedman uses for the nursery.

Fudge is taken out of the incubator for a bottle feeding by Sam Friedman, Monday, Sept. 30, 2019. (Lori M. Nichols | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com)

The kittens here need around-the-clock neonatal care, which includes multiple feedings each day and medications to treat illnesses such as upper respiratory infections and anemia.

"The mortality rate of kittens that are too young to be adopted in shelters is very high," said Friedman. "Most shelters don't have the resources or time to put into it, so a lot of these kittens don't make it."

Now that St. Hubert's has this facility, they are able to pull kittens from partner shelters and provide the care they would not otherwise receive. South Jersey can get very overwhelmed with kittens, said Friedman, and there are currently two kittens in the nursery from South Jersey Regional Animal Shelter in Vineland.

Sam Friedman, a veterinary technician and manager of the Kitten Nursery at St. Hubert's Animal Welfare Center in Madison, feeds the kittens in the nursery, Monday, Sept. 30, 2019. (Lori M. Nichols | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com)

In the six months since the Kitten Nursery has been open, 275 underage and critical kittens have come through, with a 90 to 95 percent success rate.

There are three incubators and 11 cages in the nursery, although at times two of the cages may be joined together to make a larger space for a feral cat and her kittens. An incubator is used to maintain a kitten's body temperature, which a neonatal or sick kitten is unable to do on its own. These specialized incubators, which cost approximately $800 each, also have adjustable humidity levels, which helps them breathe, and built-in nebulizers to pump in much needed medication.

"The whole thing is filled with steam or their medication, they're breathing it in and they don't even know. It's totally stress-free," said Friedman. "This is the coolest thing ever."

Smokey's story

Veterinary technician Sam Friedman, who manages the Kitten Nursery at St. Hubert's Animal Welfare Center in Madison, cuddles Smokey, Monday, Sept. 30, 2019. (Lori M. Nichols | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com)

It's not just neonatal kittens who are treated in the nursery -- there are some older kittens that need specialized care as well.

Smokey, who is about 3 months old, was brought in by a woman doing TNR.

"He was emaciated, I mean, skin and bones, the worst fleas, his gums were just pale white, he wouldn't eat, he had a severe upper respiratory infection," said Friedman. "He had all the things wrong with him."

The fleas caused anemia so severe that his internal organs have been affected. He has an enlarged spleen and swollen intestines, which in turn has made his belly large.

"He is very slowly but surely making baby steps," she said. "He just needs time."

Feral moms and their kittens

A feral cat rests with her three kittens in the Kitten Nursery, Monday, Sept. 30, 2019. The comfort of being indoors allows her to recuperate and care for her kittens as they grow strong enough to be adopted. (Lori M. Nichols | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com)

The nursery can also accommodate feral cat moms and their kittens by turning two single cages into one double unit. This allows the staff and volunteers to "shush" the momma to one side -- as a stray, they're not usually friendly enough to be handled -- in order to clean the cage and provide necessary care for the kittens.

Once the kittens are old enough to go into foster care, the mom is spayed and usually returned to her community, or if she was found in an unsafe location, they will search for a new home, such as a barn, to place her at.

"It's really interesting to watch these feral moms with their babies," said Friedman. "As much as they don't want to be social with people, given the chance to just be in a relaxing environment where you leave them alone, they are the most terrific mothers."

Dedication

There are times when Friedman stays overnight in the Kitten Nursery when cases come in that are super-critical. While she can take home the stabilized kittens which still require care during the nighttime hours, there are times when kittens are too weak to be moved.

"We work our butts off to save them, and the volunteers are a huge thing," she said. The volunteers help clean the cages, assist with animal care, and anything else that needs to be done.

When the chores of the shift are done -- with as many as 30 to 40 kittens in the nursery at one time, it can seem as if they're never really done -- there is a special time that everyone enjoys: kitten cuddle time. The volunteers and staff sit around in their gowns, and hold the kittens who are not super-critical, giving them love and affection. They also use a toothbrush -- which simulates their mother's tongue -- to pet them, and it helps the kittens relax and de-stress, which helps them heal faster.

"We really dote on these guys, which helps them survive."

Friedman and St. Hubert's is always searching for more volunteers. "I could not do this without them ... They have been angels for me."

Grundgetta, the trash can kitty

Grundgetta is taken out of her cage by Kitten Nursery manager Sam Friedman, Monday, Sept. 30, 2019. Grundgetta was found in the trash with a sibling, who was too weak to survive. (Lori M. Nichols | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com)

Grundgetta and her sibling arrived in the nursery after being found in a garbage can.

"Somebody threw them away," said Friedman.

While her sibling did not survive the ordeal, Grundgetta -- who was named after Oscar the Grouch's girlfriend -- is experiencing her own little miracle. She receives subcutaneous fluids to help with dehydration, and still sometimes needs to be fed with a syringe, but is on her way to having a bright future.

How you can help

Volunteers are always welcomed in the Kitten Nursery, as well as other departments at St. Hubert's Animal Welfare Center. There is always a need for more fosters who can care for kittens as they grow old enough to be spayed or neutered and await adoption. If you don't have time to give, but still want to help, check out the Kitten Nursery's Amazon.com wishlist. You can also donate items at the shelter or make a monetary donation.

The Humane Rescue Alliance and St. Hubert’s Animal Welfare Center Announce Merger

(July 9, 2019) – The Humane Rescue Alliance of Washington, DC, and St. Hubert’s Animal Welfare Center of Madison, New Jersey, announced today that the organizations are merging to create the first regional, community-based, multi-state animal welfare organization in the nation.

The combined group will provide direct rescue and care of animals in need, cruelty investigations and local animal control services, robust regional community support programs that allow pets to stay with their families, and a premier transport program that invests in partner communities to solve pet overpopulation sustainably and nationwide. The merger will leverage and export the strengths of its founding organizations, which rest on the professional competence of their staffs and the depths of their roots in their communities.

Lisa LaFontaine, President and CEO of the Humane Rescue Alliance and a nationally-recognized leader in animal welfare, will lead the combined organization as President and CEO.

“By unifying two industry-leading organizations, we are building an alliance that can tackle the systemic challenges facing animals in our region and beyond, with the goal of saving more lives,” said LaFontaine.

In 2016, LaFontaine oversaw the merger of the Washington Humane Society and Washington Animal Rescue League, resulting in the formation of the Humane Rescue Alliance – the first unified organization in a major urban area to provide all the animal welfare programs and services to the community.

“The merger of WHS and WARL was never a final destination. Rather, it was an expression of the imperative that animal welfare organizations must work more collaboratively, and rather than compete, they should share a sense of responsibility for the overall population of vulnerable animals,” LaFontaine added. “The future of animal welfare is about cooperation, consolidation, a deepening of community support, and the sensible balancing of resources and animal populations between partnering animal welfare groups.”

St. Hubert’s WayStation program has emerged as a best-in-class animal transport program, creating unprecedented collaboration among shelter organizations to address animal population disparities between communities, and to provide a critical lifeline in times of natural and manmade disasters. The combined organization will invest further in the WayStation program and will continue to connect communities that have extra capacity for placing and caring for homeless animals with communities where animal overpopulation remains a significant problem. The WayStation program is a vehicle for animal welfare groups to increase their collective capacity to address the challenges facing people and animals in their respective communities.

According to LaFontaine, “By enriching the organizations on both ends of animal transports, we can weave a safety net for animals in every corner of the country. Today is a happy day for HRA, St. Hubert’s, and our 60 plus partner organizations throughout the nation.”

The merger was initiated by conversations between LaFontaine and Heather Cammisa, the long-time CEO of St. Hubert’s whose vision and dedication enabled the organization to become a regional powerhouse. It has been approved by unanimous votes of both the HRA and St. Hubert’s boards of directors, and the organizations have been working at the leadership level for the past several months to lay the groundwork for a smooth and efficient combination.

For more information, read LaFontaine’s blog here: http://www.humanerescuealliance.org/lisa-blog.

Starting Life Anew

Update: June 27th

Wigglebutt Dog Grooming was on site to assist, making sure each pup was nice and clean.

It’s been over two weeks since the rescue of 188 dogs from a property in Hunterdon County. In this short amount of time we’ve seen so much progress in each of them. So far we’ve adopted out 15 of the Parson Russell Terriers to loving homes and still have 28 of them in our care. Check out the story of Bo, the first dog adopted from the rescue!

After physical and behavioral evaluations on every dog, we were able to select the canines we’ve felt were ready to be transported to other organizations and be placed for adoption. We happily accepted assistance from many wonderful organizations throughout New Jersey and up the East Coast. Below are our partners who welcomed Parson Terriers into their care over the last two weeks:

Outcast Rescue

Parsippany Animal Control

Ramapo Bergen Animal Refuge

Real Dog Rescue

SAVE- A Friend to Homeless Animals

Second Chance Pet Adoption League

Somerset Regional Animal Shelter

Voorhees Animal Orphanage

Wayne Township Animal Shelter

BARKS Animal Rescue

Dakin Humane Society

Denville Animal Control

Father John’s Animal House

Humane Rescue Alliance

Humane Society of Atlantic County

Jacks Galore Rescue

Jersey Shore Animal Center

Monmouth County SPCA

Massachusetts SPCA

A big thank you to our partners at Massachusetts SPCA (MSPCA) and Dakin Humane Society, Springfield, MA who both sent skilled medical teams down the day the dogs were removed. We also want to thank our friends at RedRover who deployed volunteers to help our staff with cleaning, caring for and socializing the dogs. We also greatly appreciate the Morris County Animal Response Team (MCART) and the Morris County Office of Emergency Management for coming to the rescue with the emergency shelters and generators as well as individual dog housing equipment.

We couldn’t have done this without the help of all these wonderful organizations!

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What a Difference a Couple of Days Makes!

Update: June 14th

Today, our behavior team started introducing the dogs to a variety of tastes and scents including peanut butter and cream cheese. Each day they make progress and we are so happy to see their personalities shining through. When dogs come from situations like this rescue in Hunterdon County, they’ve often never experienced the simple joys in life. Walking on the grass, playing with toys and indulging in treats are all new to them.

We anticipate some of the dogs being available for adoption tomorrow, June 15th, at our Madison Shelter. Check out our adoption process here https://www.sthuberts.org/adoption-process. We open for adoptions from Noon-6pm.

Take a look at all of our adoptable pets here https://www.sthuberts.org/animals-available-for-adoption

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Dogs From Emergency Rescue Settling In

Update: June 13th

THANK YOU! We are overwhelmed by the response from our community to help us care for the dogs rescued from Hunterdon County this week. Your support has helped us provide nutritious food, comfortable bedding, vaccinations, medications and grooming to each dog in our care. After giving them some time to settle in, our team has begun assessing each dog’s behavioral needs. Many have spent time outside in the fresh air with our staff as we get to know each of their personalities. We are so grateful to have them safe in our arms, and thankful for YOU! As they become available for adoption within the next two weeks, we will post updates.

If you’d like to make a tax deductible contribution to their care, visit our Facebook Fundraiser go.sthuberts.org/emergencydogrescue or on our secure website: sthuberts.org/dogrescue2019. We are also in need of clean blankets and towels, along with canned dog food, treats and toys. Our Amazon Wish List can be found here: https://www.amazon.com/…/…/ls/28KLTV0S98CQY/ref=as_li_ss_tl….

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St. Hubert’s Rescues 188 Dogs

St. Hubert’s was on site today at an undisclosed location effecting the removal of a large number of small dogs from the property following the service of a warrant by a Humane Law Enforcement Officer this morning. St. Hubert’s was asked to provide its expertise in both the removal and the triage, emergency sheltering and care of the dogs which initial estimates indicate may well number more than one hundred. As access to the property has just been gained we do not yet have a better answer as to the total number of animals and their condition. Staff and volunteers have spent the last 72 hours working nonstop to prepare for their arrival. We know that all will be in need of vaccination, deworming and spay/neuter. We anticipate discovering medical issues at a variety of levels. We urgently need your help to provide the basic level of care they need and deserve for these unexpected arrivals. Please consider a donation, which will be matched under our current Matching Gift Challenge. As soon as we have additional information and authorization to release it we will be sure to keep you updated. Many of our followers will remember that this rescue is occurring almost exactly three years after the early June rescue of almost 300 small dogs in Howell Township New Jersey.

St. Hubert’s Extends Emergency Animal Sheltering Service To Newark

Assistance Provided for Six Months Will End April 30

Madison, NJ (April 15, 2019) St. Hubert’s Animal Welfare Center has extended its agreement with the City of Newark to provide emergency sheltering service for lost and stray animals rescued by the City’s Animal Control through April 30, 2019, after which The City will use alternate housing for its animals.  St. Hubert’s responded to a crisis situation in Newark in early November and agreed to provide services through December 31, 2018. The Center has twice extended that deadline to provide city officials with additional time to identify intermediate and long-term permanent arrangements for the shelter and care of its homeless animal population.  

“St. Hubert’s cares deeply for the animals and residents of Newark and is pleased that we’ve been able to extend our assistance from 60 days to 6 months, though we have explained to The City during our ongoing meetings that we cannot continue to absorb the financial hardship it places on our organization, ” said St. Hubert’s Interim President Erika Mathews. It is not sustainable for St. Hubert’s to continue to provide service from our shelter facilities.  The homeless animals in Newark will be best served by a centrally located facility that can provide ample resources and care.”

St. Hubert’s is committed to continuing its outreach work in the Newark community, regularly supporting Newark pet parents in need through its pet food/supplies bank services, free vaccination clinics and spay/neuter assistance.

Mathews stated that since November 2018 through mid-April, St. Hubert’s has provided intake and care for 1,016 Newark animals, many of whom needed extensive emergency or routine medical care.  During free clinics offered in Newark 447 pets received their annual vaccinations/microchips and more than 375 dogs and cats have been provided with spay/neuter surgery through St. Hubert’s at no cost to residents or The City.  

“The experience and insight St. Hubert’s has gained in serving Newark these last 173 days will enable us to support The City with input and guidance as it develops its best practice long-term program to meet the community’s needs,” said Mathews.  “We would like to be a part of that permanent program if a financially sustainable, comprehensive and multi-faceted solution can be reached with The City.”

Any questions regarding Newark’s animal sheltering plans after April 30 should be directed to City officials.

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 ABOUT ST. HUBERT'S ANIMAL WELFARE CENTER

Founded in 1939, St. Hubert’s Animal Welfare Center is a nonprofit organization dedicated to the humane treatment of animals. Its services to the community include pet adoption and animal rescue, humane education, a pet helpline, pet training, professional educationand pet loss support. St. Hubert’s Animal Welfare Center has shelters in Madison, North Branch, and Ledgewood, NJ and its dog training and behavior school in Madison. For more information about St. Hubert’s, visit www.sthuberts.org or contact the Madison shelter at (973) 377-2295, the North Branch shelter at (908) 526-3330, the Ledgewood shelter at (973) 347-5469.  

St. Hubert’s Responds to Emergency Dog Rescue

St. Hubert’s was asked to assist in the rescue of a large number of dogs in Burlington County on Wednesday, November 14 and along with some of our partner organizations our team was on scene all day.  Our experienced staff assisted with the removal and transport of more than 150 dogs from one location. While the dogs have been surrendered and will be able to be placed in new homes soon, this is an open case and we cannot provide any information about the site or the case itself.  What we can tell you is that we have welcomed 44 of the dogs to our shelters and we will provide them with whatever each needs individually before they go to new homes.  To do that we need your help to support these deserving newcomers.  If you can, please make a special gift for their care or view our wish list of supplies that you can send directly to our shelter. If you have blankets and towels you can donate please bring them to any of our shelters—we are always in need of those.  If you can open your heart and home to foster a dog please contact our Foster Care Coordinator Steve at svalentin@sthuberts.org    

St. Hubert’s Rescues 39 Cats in Crisis in South Bound Brook

As the agency providing animal rescue and control for The Borough of South Bound Brook, St. Hubert’s was called for assistance on Wednesday afternoon, October 23. During an eviction process, multiple cats were discovered inside an apartment. Our animal control officers arrived on scene and removed 39 cats, carefully searching the premises to be certain all were located and moved to safety. They will of course check again tomorrow just to be absolutely certain none in hiding are left behind. Thankfully the caretaker was able to understand the seriousness of the crisis and agreed to sign custody of the cats over to St Hubert’s. While the majority of the kitties are friendly and seek human attention they are in pretty rough shape, many appearing to be suffering from untreated upper respiratory infections and they are badly undernourished. The medical team is in overdrive and cats are being individually examined. Vaccination and treatments are underway. It’s already obvious to the team that all of them are going to require acute medical care, a nutritious feeding regimen and spay/neuter at the least before they will be ready for adoption. These new arrivals in dire straits so soon after this summer’s rescue of 193 cats in similar condition means our resources for their care are depleted. We need your help to ensure we can provide these deserving little ones everything they’ll need to bring them back to good health and happiness. Please make a special gift towards the care and healing of this special group.

St. Hubert’s Welcomes Canine Victims of Neglect

Clean shaven and comfortable, Gino and Christopher have been neutered and will be available for adoption soon!

On July 24 a housing inspector in Union County investigating a complaint observed two dogs in cages on the back porch of the residence.  Local Animal Control was called in and discovered a total of 14 dogs inside the apartment.  Due to the terribly neglected condition of the dogs the Union County animal Cruelty Task Force was called in.  Task force member Jeff Eyre, St. Hubert’s Director of Operations, and Animal Control Officers Pam Fyfe and Nina Cochran responded to the scene to assist with documentation and removal of the animals.  Their owner agreed to give the dogs up so that they could get the care and sheltering they needed and be placed in good homes. Elizabeth Animal Services welcomed seven of the dogs and St. Hubert’s agreed to take the other seven. 

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Removing the extreme, filth encrusted mats requires slow and steady hand.

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The boys are visibly happy to be able to sit up and romp around, even with their post-neutering cones!

Much like the group of poodles we helped last year, these small curly coated dogs had not received the necessary grooming in a very, very long time—their coats were so matted that they were trapped in what amounts to fur straitjackets, hot and terribly uncomfortable.  The first order of business was to provide sedation and meticulously cut and clip the damp, odorous fur so that they could move and eliminate comfortably.  Underneath their skin was redness and irritation, and some had urine burns on their legs and feet. Thankfully, now that they are dry and the areas can be kept clean and medicated their skin will heal. All of them have been neutered here in our clinic.  Some are going to need some dental work and other attention to ensure they are in tip-top shape. They were timid at first, both because of all they’d been through and also because it seems that they’ve not had lots of social interaction.  Happily they all responded quickly to kindness, patience and St. Hubert’s special TLC and are a sweet little group of guys.  We expect them to be available for adoption very soon. A gift towards the care of these special little dogs can be made below.