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The termination means LHS must vacate its space at 235 Jersey City Blvd., at midnight on Dec. 31, Irene Borngraeber, the executive director of the Liberty Humane Society said. The city will assume all direct responsibility for its animal control and sheltering program.
"All remaining animals off of stray hold will be transferred into off-site foster care," Borngraeber said. "No animals will be left behind."
Kimberly Wallace-Scalfione, a spokeswoman for the mayor's office said they are terminating the agreement because of the shelter's "continued deficiencies in meeting contractual obligations to provide adequate animal control services, coupled with the increasing amount of public complaints and LHS’s unresponsiveness and disregard for the city’s and the public’s concerns."
"The people and animals of Jersey City need and deserve responsive and reliable services," Wallace-Scalfione said.
In August, city health officer Paul Bellan-Boyer sent a letter to Borngraeber expressing concern about the shelter's performance.
"I am concerned by the fact that both you and your staff seem to regard our requests for information or action as optional," Bellan-Boyer wrote.
Concerns included the shelter not communicating with the city on dogs and cats the shelter was responsible for and not providing the city with monthly reporting and invoicing.
"We regularly receive community complaints...which express dissatisfaction with ART’s (Animal Response Team) response, lack of response, or reported inability to contact. Additionally, residents and I continue to be unclear about your actual service hours and concerned that your doors are not open to the public," Bellan-Boyer wrote.
The Liberty Humane Society said they have 150 animals in need of permanent homes, rescue transfer or barn placement and they are waiving fees on all large dogs and adult cats from Saturday, Oct. 21 to Saturday, Oct. 28.
The city said it will be ready to take over animal control services on Jan. 1.
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