There is hope for the homeless animals at the Edison Animal Shelter — it’s an organization called Sammy’s Hope.
Organized in 2010, Sammy’s Hope partners with the Edison Animal Shelter, focusing on moving the animals from the shelter into homes by posting their images on www.sammyshope.org, as well as through social media and www.petfinder.com.
Last year, Sammy’s Hope volunteers worked with the shelter to successfully place approximately 200 cats and 60 pit bull mix dogs into homes, according to Elda Hubbard, one of the original founders of the organization. She currently runs Sammy’s Hope with co-founders Darren and Christine Young.
“Sammy’s Hope helps get the word out to the public that there are many adoptable pets at the shelter that need loving homes,” Hubbard said.
Sammy’s Hope volunteers also exercise and socialize the animals, interact with potential adopters, screen the adoption applications, conduct home visits as needed and make recommendations for adoption.
“A number of dogs have been there for quite a while,” said Hubbard, a teacher at John P. Stevens High School. “We have many wonderful animals that need homes.”
Prior to forming Sammy’s Hope, she started an animal welfare club called JPAW with her students at John P. Stevens High School in 2006. Students in the club fundraise and volunteer to help out at the shelter by getting the homeless animals out of their cages to be socialized. She realized that the shelter needed more adult assistance and support — and so Sammy’s Hope was formed.
Hubbard said the inspiration for the organization’s name came from Sammy — a brindle-colored, large pit bull/boxer/mastiff mix who had been in the shelter for a long time.
“He was very large and looked intimidating, but he was just a sweet dog,” she said. “As we were organizing our group, we were able to place him in a foster home and eventually he was placed in a permanent home. Sammy is now happily living in a home near the Shore with his person, so he was the first success story.”
Sammy’s image remains on the website’s home page.
Sammy’s Hope absorbs the cost of spaying and neutering the animals and the cost of vaccinations in an effort to supplement funds from the township, which pays for all routine medical care for the sheltered animals.
All the adoptions at the shelter now go through Sammy’s Hope, which screens the applicants for adoption and tries to match the right dog to the right family.
“There are some dogs right now that have been there for a long time,” Hubbard said.
She described a “wonderful dog” named Jerry as a very large and very mellow pit bull who has been at the shelter for nearly two years. He is approximately 3 to 4 years old. “It would be great to find him a home,” she said.
Nellie, an American Bulldog, has been at the shelter for approximately one year.
A number of older cats are also housed at the shelter, and it’s hard for them to be there, according to Hubbard.
When animals are brought to the shelter, they have to be held for eight days before they can be put up for adoption, in case someone wants to claim a lost animal. After that period, they get vetted and vaccinated, and then Sammy’s Hope volunteers start working with them.
“We socialize them, see what they are like. We do a temperament evaluation, take photos, do a write-up and post them on the website for adoption,” Hubbard said.
A temperament evaluation checks specific areas of the dog’s behavior, such as whether it is sociable, how it acts in the cage, and how it interacts with other animals and people. It also determines if it is trained and knows any commands.
“We do the best we can in that environment,” Hubbard said. “There’s no guarantees of what the animal is going to do in another environment, but we usually get a fairly good picture of what you can expect.”
The cats don’t receive a formal evaluation.
Sammy’s Hope is always in need of volunteers and foster homes for cats and dogs. They accept donations to pay for the spaying, neutering and extra medical care that supplements special procedures, such as surgeries.
Sammy’s Hope volunteers usually visit the shelter 5:30-7:30 p.m. Wednesday evenings and 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturdays.
For more information on adopting, fostering or helping, visit www.sammyshope.org.