Community Highlights Update

On behalf of the staff and the Board of Directors at Mt. Pleasant Animal Shelter, thank you for your continued support. Our community has truly come together this year to bolster the impact MPAS has on our community. Our network of donors, volunteers, fosters, and adopters remind us daily of our mission—to build a community of people and organizations working together to save today’s, and prevent tomorrow’s, abused, neglected, and homeless cats and dogs. We are a community-based organization, focused on animal welfare, that values compassion, personal accountability, and integrity. Our highest priority for the past 50 years has been to provide the best care for our animals—and you are helping to make that possible.

We would like to highlight some important moments from the recent past that exemplify our mission and values. Since state COVID-19 guidelines have been lifted, our volunteer community has returned—assisting in daily activities and making a huge impact at the shelter. Our community has also been generous in providing us with donations to continue our mission. Our intakes and adoptions continue to increase. With your help, almost 200 wonderful pets have found their forever homes over the last two months. Without you, we could not provide the care needed for each of our furry friends.

In addition to making sure our cats and dogs receive excellent care, we have developed partnerships with other shelters and rescues to create a strong animal welfare network. For example, in June we partnered with BISSELL Pet Foundation in the largest transport in pet rescue history. Animals were located at an overcrowded shelter in Texas and many were at risk of euthanasia. MPAS, with the help of many of our volunteers and donors, led the efforts in New Jersey, bringing 130 of these dogs from Texas to accepting shelters across New Jersey. Extending our mission across the US is crucial in helping us rescue even more adoptable companions over the next 50 years.

While we work diligently every day to find homes for our adoptable animals, we are cognizant of the barriers that can prevent owners from retaining their pets, such as food insecurity. We’ve developed a pet food pantry program, donating food and comfort items (beds, blankets, toys) to local food banks. Within the first two weeks of this program, we distributed over 700 pounds of food. Currently, we are donating approximately 250 pounds of food a week. Your support makes it possible for MPAS to support the community with its concerns.

As we enter our 50th year of service, we feel gratitude for the community that has brought us to this point. Going forward, we need your help more than ever. Below are some ideas on how you can continue to support the MPAS mission:

We need your support today—please help us. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us at ed@njshelter.org or board@njshelter.org.

Sincerely,