Officers working with shelter to find homes for strays
By Victoria Hurley-Schubert, Staff Writer
An animal lover at heart, with a three-legged cat and mastiff at home, Princeton Borough Patrolman Chris Donnelly wanted to do more for animals and find a way to give back to the community.
You might have seen him and other officers walking around Nassau Street, Palmer Square and by the library in uniform and walking dogs. What started as a holiday program to find homes for lost or stray animals is continuing into the new year because it was so well received. And more officers are looking to participate. So far, about six officers have taken part in the program.
”It originated when we were at a PBA meeting and we were discussing ideas with the chief to get our name out there and have our faces out there in a positive light and to volunteer in some ways,” said Mr. Donnelly. “It was around the holidays so a lot of the suggestions that were coming up were good, but it was a lot of the things we usually do adopting families for the holidays and doing toy drives. Great stuff, but it’s stuff we do every year.”
Mr. Donnelly knew about SAVE, a no-kill animal shelter on Herrontown Road in Princeton Township.
”Our animal control officer, anytime we have a stray, he brings them into his own section of SAVE,” he said. “They try to get them back in homes. We don’t have any programs with them and I don’t think the township does either and a lot of our officers will go over there and look at the dogs and some of our officers have adopted dogs from there and we’ve never done anything hand-in-hand with them.”
The efforts are working, according to SAVE.
”I would say that approximately five animals have been adopted,” said Piper Huggins, executive director of SAVE. “We have also received many applications from folks interested in adopting a cat or dog.”
SAVE is an independent, nonprofit animal shelter founded in 1941 and focuses on the rehabilitation and successful placement of treatable and adoptable animals.
”This partnership is proving to be very valuable for SAVE. The fact that the police department is endorsing our adoption program speaks well for both SAVE and police officers in general,” said Ms. Huggins. “There are many companion dogs in need of good, loving homes and this program is an excellent way to encourage the public to consider adopting a pet. The program is effective and the results will become more measurable over time.”
Volunteers from SAVE already walk dogs wearing “adopt me” vests around town.
”You’d be surprised how many people live in Princeton and don’t know SAVE exists or where it is,” said Mr. Donnelly. “I figured if we came and volunteered our time on our days off we can help SAVE by getting their dogs some exercise and raise an awareness of the program and SAVE itself by dressing in uniform and bringing the dogs out without he same adopt me vests on and we have flyers.”
”People see us in uniform and it sparks interest,” he added.
The first few times the officers went out, they took several pit bulls with them, which many people thought were working dogs or K-9s in training. This then sparked questions and interaction with the officers for people to learn about the shelter.
The program has been well-received by the businesses in the downtown district, which now look forward to the visits from the officers and their charges.
Patrolman Dan Federico adopted his own pet, a Labrador mix now named Buddy. Buddy started with the name Jimmy.
”One of the first times we went out, I took him with me and he took Jimmy out for a walk and Jimmy was selling himself to Dan, so Dan ended up taking him home,” said Mr. Donnelly. “Right off the bat (SAVE) said they got e-mails and people came in.”
It was puppy love after the first date, said Mr. Federico. “I got Jimmy, and you could tell he was looking for love from somebody. From the first day, he was great. He was not paying attention to anyone else but me,” he said. “I had a plan to get a puppy over the summer, but he picked me; I couldn’t let him sit in SAVE any longer.”

