Dear Mayor Taylor,

I write to you today in this showing of strength for the East Orange Animal Shelter. I am not alone in my animal advocacy. Others will send this letter to also show their support for humane conditions at your shelter. We have tried to improve your shelter in an effort to provide opportunity to your city’s unwanted pets and animals. These efforts have varied in degree from fostering, adopting, social media posting, promoting adopting and volunteering as my fellow advocates will send letters to show their belief for better conditions and the visibility to promote adoptions. We stand together in our belief and hope that you too will stand with us.

A great hero for your East Orange Animal Shelter was former Animal Control Officer (ACO) Amanda Ham who among her duties started a Facebook page for the shelter to provide the animals with an opportunity for adoption instead of imminent euthanasia. She spoke on the animals behalf for better care, better facilities and a chance to be live. On June 12th, she was terminated by your Director of Heath, Ms. Evans after filing a complaint with the SPCA to improve shelter conditions set forth by New Jersey law.

Your shelter has had many parvo outbreaks, a highly contagious disease that should be checked for upon intake. By law you are required to vaccinate and spay/neuter your intakes when they are adopted. These services are not happening, dogs die from infected animals that aren’t checked for disease, they are not vaccinated and they aren’t spayed or neutered when they are adopted: services that the city is paying for under contract with a veterinarian.

I am sure, Mayor Taylor, that you are unaware of these oversights. This show of strength is to enlighten your office and to make aware the inhumane conditions that are the East Orange Animal Shelter. Our effort is to ensure change and implementation of new policies which are as follows:

The reinstating of ACO Amanda Ham will offer your animals a voice in the shelter and to further promote adoptions. The creation of a shelter volunteer core will help offset city expenses by providing services like cleaning, dog walking and adoption promotion.

These two requests will greatly improve the lives of your animals, the conditions of your East Orange Animal Shelter and will also help to improve the city’s reputation.