Animal Center awarded grant for building project

Jersey Shore Animal Center has been awarded $50,000 for its building renovation and expansion project by OceanFirst Foundation of Toms River. The grant will provide funds to complete the shelter's plans to increase space and add specialized areas to the shelter while benefiting Northern Ocean and Southern Monmouth communities.

Once complete, the shelter will have a new free-roaming cat room, two meet-and-greet rooms for potential adopters to spend time with animals, a new Thrift Shop to support operating expenses, wards dedicated to kittens, puppies and small animals, renovated dog runs and much more.

According to Heather Cammisa, executive director, work is estimated to be complete by the end of the summer at a total cost of over $1.5 million. She also said that the new Thrift Shop will be opening shortly as well as a new lobby so that the old lobby can be converted into the free-roaming cat room and the small animal room, a specialized area for rabbits, guinea pigs and other small animals. The work has been done in phases to assure uninterrupted service to the center's mission to rescue and care for unwanted, abandoned, abused, sick animals and to adopt those animals to responsible, loving homes.

In addition to caring for homeless animals and providing animal control service for the town of Brick, the shelter is involved in the community through programs like Pet Therapy where screened animals from the shelter or volunteer animals visit local nursing homes. The program has been running for over 20 years and makes approximately 4,000 pet visits each month.

According to Cammisa, the entire project has been funded by the community and those who care about animals. Support for the renovations may be made to Jersey Shore Animal Center Building Fund, 185 Brick Boulevard, Brick 08723.

The Jersey Shore Animal Center was founded in 1982. Shelter visiting hours are Tuesday through Sunday from 1 to 4 p.m. The Thrift Shop is open 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday. The shelter is open every day of the year for reclaiming animals and reporting stray/injured animals in Brick. Details: www.jerseyshoreanimalcenter.org.