ESSEX COUNTY, NJ For the fifth year in a row, Essex County's animal shelters and pounds euthanized the most dogs in New Jersey, according to state statistics.<\/p>\n
Every year, the New Jersey Department of Health (NJDOH) conducts a voluntary survey among the state's licensed animal shelters and pounds. This document the \"Shelter\/Pound Annual Report\" includes the numbers of intakes, adoptions and euthanasias performed at each facility that year.<\/p>\n
See the full county-by-county list for 2017 here.<\/p>\n
According to the 2017 report, 427 dogs met their end in Essex County facilities last year the most of any New Jersey county. The next-highest totals came from Mercer County (254), Camden County (184) and Morris County (169).<\/p>\n
Essex County shelters took in 2,470 dogs last year, a kill rate of 17.2 percent. That rate was down from 2016, when the county's shelters took in 2,425 dogs and euthanized 613 a 25 percent kill rate.<\/p>\n
Essex County's 2017 dog euthanasia totals were also down from 2015, when the county's shelters killed 614 canines. And last year's total was a huge drop from 2014, when the county's facilities reported euthanizing a staggering 913 dogs.<\/p>\n
In addition to the high number of dog euthanasias, 546 cats were euthanized in Essex County last year with 2,668 total intakes, a kill rate of 20 percent. Gloucester County led the state in cat euthanasias with 1,305, followed by Ocean County (1,258), Atlantic County (945) and Burlington County (941).<\/p>\n
However, despite Essex County's grim euthanasia totals, significantly more animals were adopted or reunited with their owners, according to state statistics.<\/p>\n
Essex County's shelters adopted 763 dogs (30 percent) and \"redeemed\" 667 dogs (27 percent). The county adopted 655 cats (24 percent) and redeemed 35 (about 1 percent).<\/p>\n
The NJDOH includes the following disclaimer about the yearly survey:<\/p>\n
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