REFORM Helmetta Regional Animal Shelter
Updated 12/26/14
Check each page for updated information!!
The shelter is empty as of 12/22/14. All animals have been placed in the care of many amazing rescue groups; some of those animals have been permanently adopted!
Stray or lost animals are from towns still contracted with HRAS are being taken to Monmouth County SPCA or, if needed to Garden State Vetererinary Hospital (overnight only) in Iselin.
How To Help
01
​Educate yourself!
This website serves as a library of factual, accurate information regarding the Helmetta Regional Animal Shelter. The information contained here was obtained through Open Public Records Act (OPRA) requests to various entities, including the Borough of Helmetta, as well as verifiable information from past and present volunteers, employees, adopters and otherwise interested parties.
02
Get Involved!
This is especially important if you are a tax paying citizen living in one of the 21 municipalities HRAS services. Your tax dollars are supporting this shelter, which provides little to no care or advocacy for the pets it takes in, grudgingly accepts a limited number of volunteers, has little to no base of foster groups or rescues with which to work, does not accept TNR (Trap-Neuter-Release) for control of feral cat populations, and doesn't even advocate for the basics - vaccinations or spay/neuter for the shelter inhabitants. Animals are kept in poor conditions with little social interaction or exercise. To do nothing to change this situation is to be complicit in it. You can get involved by:
- Contacting your representatives in local and state government.
- Attending municipal council meetings and share your concerns
- Contacting relevant animal care, health. safety, and social agencies ask for support or
guidance
- Signing the petition linked at the top of this page
- Sharing your personal stories by contacting or by posting to the
RHRAS Facebook page (linked above)
03
Be an Ambassador for the pets at the shelter!
It is very important, especially in a situation like this where emotions run high, to stay on course toward the goal - REFORM! That's why it is imperative that supporters of this movement:
- Be Polite. No matter who you speak with, in person, on the phone, on Facebook... avoid bad language, name calling, passive-aggressive or snide comments. Poor behavior in any way in a detriment to this cause.
- Be Patient. OPRA requests can take a week or more to come through. People supporting Reform work, have families, and other obligations. Even in the best case scenario, if tomorrow all involved were dedicated to change, there would still need to be time to strategically re-configure the shelter and how it operates. Yes, we all want positive change immediately, but it's just not going to happen that way. We need to be strong and persevere!
- Be Factual. Exaggerations, unverifiable anecdotes or documentation, 'he-said/she-said', hyperbolic statements....these are only harmful to Reform. Yes, "Reality TV" can be entertaining, but documentaries and investigative reporting are what push change.
- Stay Positive. It's going to take time. There is a lot of resistance from many involved parties. There is 'entrenchment' of certain entities which needs to be resolved before any meaningful change can be initiated. We can do this, with your help and support!
- Stay Focused. We want better prevention, better treatment, better quality of life, better outcomes for the animals and much better professionalism from managment of HRAS. So we must be examples for what we expect from others. No one who works or volunteers in any animal care situation is in it for money, attention, and there certainly isn't any glory or fame to be won. Be supportive. Be magnanimous. Be stalwartly united in demanding that change MUST occur.
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