Our Humane Society and Popcorn Park Zoo has long been in the forefront in trying to assist in the rescue, rehabilitation and release of orphaned, sick, injured and abandoned wildlife. Although we service over 70 municipalities throughout the State of N. J., we go wherever is necessary if wildlife is in imminent danger.
Through the efforts of the N. J. Division of Fish and Game, the number of wildlife rehabilitators has found it increasingly difficult to obtain a permit ..and for those who had permits, most of them were cut off from helping wildlife. We are now in the beginning of the breeding season for most wildlife.
For those who still have permits, those rehabbers can only handle a minimal number compared to the hundreds of squirrels, rabbits, skunks, raccoons, possums, deer, birds, waterfowl, etc. that need assistance. As a result of the diminishing number of rehabilitators, homeowners and concerned animal lovers have nowhere to turn ... and pest control operators are waiting for your business. Being a wildlife rehabilitator is an unpaid job ... with no cost to the taxpayers; and is a labor of love. The N J Division of Fish and Game has made the effort to obtain a permit extremely difficult.
The Society is also aware of the number of pest control operators who have been cruel and//or ignorant, and it has been the animals that suffered. Over the past few weeks, the number of raccoons taken out of homes, at a cost to the home owner by the pest control companies, has risen. It was discovered that the raccoons taken out and away had been nursing mothers. Several groups of baby raccoons have been given over to the humane society; some of which had been found in garbage cans.
NOW THERE IS A CHANCE TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT!
S. 2325 (Karcher) and A.3939 (Chiappone, Panter) would temporarily expand the scope of "cooperator permit" to include rehabilitation of other kinds of wildlife besides game animals. Please write to the following thanking them for their efforts and to have these bills be sent favorably out of their respective Committees and to the floor for a full vote:
Senator Ellen Karcher
400 W. Main St. , 3rd Floor
Freehold, NJ 07728
SenKarcher@njleg.org
Assemblyman Anthony Chiappone
595 Broadway
Bayonne, NJ 07002
AsmChiappone@njleg.org
Assemblyman Michael Panter
The Galleria
Bldg.2, 2nd Floor
2 Bridge Avenue
Red Bank, NJ 07701
AsmPanter@njleg.org
Senator Nicholas Asselta
Main Tree Commons
450 East Chestnut Ave.
Building 1,Suite B
Vineland, NJ 08361
(856) 691-3004
For additional information and photos, click here.
