Things have been rough for the Woodbridge Animal Shelter, ever since Hurricane Sandy blew through town and the storm surge flooded the pet facility.
But bit by bit, the animal shelter and its volunteers are putting it all back together again.
"We have to be patient," said Marge Petrow, the volunteer coordinator for the shelter. "It's a tough time now."
The shelter, located on Woodbridge Avenue in the Sewaren section of the township, suffered from water overflowing the banks of a nearby tributary of the Woodbridge River. The first floor of the facility was flooded, while volunteers were busy moving the pets to another floor of the building.
Ever since then, they've been redoing the building and repairing the damage, and doing fundraising to pay for it all.
Just last week, Petrow said at the Tuesday night town council meeting, workers had started to put back up sheetrock ruined from the storm flooding.
"There's a lot of construction going on," she said.
The most important thing, though, Petrow stressed, is that the Woodbridge Animal Shelter is "still open for business.
"We are not closed. Pets can still be adopted. All you have to do is call and make an appointment to see them."
To help raise money for the animals and the shelter, the Woodbridge Animal Shelter now has a spot on CafePress. Clothing items for man and beast, as well as coffee mugs and the like emblazoned with the shelter's logo can be purchased online, and the shelter gets a portion of the proceeds, Petrow said.
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As many know, John McCormac tried to eviscerate me, with the help of Marge Petrow, at a recent town council meeting for writing a blog that called conditions at the shelter "horrific", in the wake of Hurricane Sandy. Obviously, as this article shows, the damage to the shelter was sever. It was horrific and deeply saddening to witness. Accordingly, it is hoped my bring that fact to the publics' attention inspired many to contribute, in whatever manner they could, to helping the shelter in its recovery effort. I wish the shelter and the volunteers at it very success in their efforts. As for the Mac attack, it only showed why giving consideration to breading and temperament are so important when selecting a dog or a politician.
To use the unfortunate destruction caused to the shelter as ammunition in an anti-council campaign is just gross...
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Marge is a dedicated volunteer who wants nothing better than to improve the lives of those animals who are in need of a "forever" home. Maybe Mr. Maras should spend some time volunteering at the shelter rather than ranting and raving to further his own agenda.