Dear Governor:

 

 

I have started this petition to bring to light the corruption taking place in the government of the Borough of Helmetta and the blatant neglect taking place at the Helmetta Regional Animal Shelter. As a NJ citizen and an animal lover, I am requesting that you and your staff please look into the unscrupulous practices of the Shelter.

 

Since it began operation in 2011, the operation and conditions of the Shelter have gone consistently downhill, with a proven track record of state and county health code violations, under the direction of Mayor Nancy Martin, Councilwoman and Chair of the Animal Shelter Committee Yvette Bruno, Head Animal Control Officer Brandon Metz, Animal Control Officers Michal and Richard Cieliesz, and Director of Public Works Darren Doran.

 

On August 4, 2014, a video taken by a local citizen at the Helmetta Municipal Building was posted on YouTube. The citizen was there to file OPRA reports to obtain information for an investigation of Helmetta Animal Shelter. The Officer was called to the scene by staff of the Building because the citizen was photographing inside the building. In the video, Helmetta Police Officer Richard Recine clearly states on camera: “Obama has decimated the friggin’ Constitution, so I don’t give a damn. Because if he doesn’t follow the Constitution, ‘we’ (meaning the police of the Borough of Helmetta) do not have to.” This shows how deep the corruption in the town runs, from the Mayor right down to the officers who have sworn to uphold not only the law, but the Constitution as well. 

 

Since 2011, there have been numerous inspections of the facility, each time with major deficiencies. As of the last inspection in July 2014, those deficiencies have still not been rectified. Animals live in filthy pens, sick animals receive no medical attention, stray cats in the 7-day hold room are not posted as lost animals, sick puppies with parasites are being imported from St. Francis Animal Center in Georgetown, South Carolina, and, most disconcerting of all, lost pets (adult cats in particular) from NJ are being sent to this same SC Center. These beloved pets come from the 21 towns that the Helmetta Regional Animal Shelter serves, and they are never advertised in an attempt to be reunited with their owners. 

 

The inspection reports also address incorrect euthanasia practices; incorrect cleaning procedures; insufficient paperwork practices; issues with the upkeep of the facility, including peeling paint, cracked, broken, and incomplete tiles, and issues with drainage from the pens; proper feeding practices; proper cleaning of the kennel, dog runs, and cat cages; as well as the types of litter boxes being used and the conditions in the cat area.  Currently, there is an African Grey parrot being housed in the kitchen of the facility right in the middle of all of the cleaning supplies, and small dogs in pens stacked in another closet-type area, hidden from public view

 

We, the undersigned, respectfully request that the Governor’s Office look into the corruption of the Borough of Helmetta and the neglectful practices of those running the shelter, and ask that the shelter be immediately turned over local SPCA officials until suitable, qualified, and caring individuals can be hired to run the facility properly and keep the best interests of the animals foremost in mind.

 

 

This shelter is in crisis, and the animals lovers of New Jersey are alarmed by the conditions. These animals need our help, and the facility they are housed in needs transparency. Please support us in reforming this shelter. Thank you for your kind consideration.