Tri-Boro Animal Welfare to Split Into Separate Kinnelon, Butler Entities

Tri-boro Animal Welfare, the non-profit animal adoption organization that serves Kinnelon and Butler, will be splitting into two separate entities to continue serving the boroughs. Kinnelon's shelter will be known as the Kinnelon Volunteer Animal Shelter and Butler will also have its own organization.

During Thursday's l meeting, Tri-boro Animal Welfare President Cheryl Canale read a statement on behalf of the group. "What we determined is that each shelter needs to dedicate itself to its own community and avoid the distractions that so easily come into play when dividing one's time," she said.

The organization came together in the 1970s, serving Kinnelon, Butler and Bloomingdale. Since then, Bloomingdale has separated from the organization and formed its own non-profit, Bloomingdale Regional Animal Shelter Society, also known as BASS, which is housed in the on Brandt Lane.

Canale said that the economy has affected the organization in a way that lends itself to needing community support more, and that people who are unable to afford living in their homes are often unable to afford caring for a pet. As such, Canale said that the demand for the organization's needs have increased while donations have decreased.

"Those who have to 'downsize' often cannot take their pets with them. Some people contact us to 'give- up' their beloved pets. Other people, in dire situations, just drop their pets off in nice communities," she said.

As a result, the organization has worked with other local organizations, and even corporate pet supply chain , which hosts Tri-boro Animal Welfare adoption clinics on Saturdays, to continue to service the pets and the community.

During her statement, Canale said that people are more willing to give if they know their donation is being used locally.

"The same is true with volunteerism," she said. "Local people will stop by to walk local dogs or give you an hour of their time to clean cages. What we determined is that each shelter needs to dedicate itself to its own community and avoid the distractions that so easily come into play when dividing one's time."

Canale said there is still a process the organization has to go through to separate the two entities, and that she is unsure of when the separation could be completed.