More Shelter Dogs Head to New Jersey

BERKELEY HEIGHTS — More dogs from Texas are headed for New Jersey as Task Force 1 returns home.

Home for Good Dogs Rescue of Berkeley Heights and 11th Hour Rescue accepted 25 dogs, including some month-old puppies, and a kitten from shelters in Texas. The animals were flown into Morristown Airport on Monday,  according to NJ.com. They will stay in the home of a foster volunteer before being adopted.

The dogs were flown in by Andy Topp of International Humanitarian Aid Foundation, who also brought supplies to Texas, according to Home for Good Dogs Rescue.

The Monmouth County SPCA said it is expecting another 80 dogs from Texas that will be put up for adoption as soon as possible, according to its Facebook page. Tuesday is also the final day the shelter is accepting donations of pet supplies for a 30-foot trailer that will be sent to Texas.

The shelter is looking for crates to be used for transport, but also dog and cat food, cleaning supplies, treats, collars and leashes, kitty litter, and other items.

The animals have come to New Jersey to clear out shelters and make room for pets separated from their families in flood-ravaged Texas. St. Hubert's Animal Welfare Center executive director Heather Cammisa warned that some individuals are going to Texas on their own to rescue pets, as some municipalities are suspending stray hold rules to clear out their own shelters.

"Animals will be sent far and wide, and heartbroken families may not be able to be reunited," Cammisa said.

The 20 members of the New Jersey Office of Emergency Management's Task Force 1 water and rescue unit are preparing for a return home after nearly a week in Texas. They spent most of their time in Wharton County helping rescue people and animals from homes where flood waters reached rooftops.

Contact reporter Dan Alexander at Dan.Alexander@townsquaremedia.com.