The residents of Red Bank will be informed on the care and treatment of animals.
The Red Bank Borough Council recently adopted an ordinance that will establish the Animal Welfare Advisory Committee, which will act as a voice regarding the numerous issues of animal welfare.
According to a statement from the council, the borough realized a need and desire to create a public awareness committee that involves citizens to spread information and notifications concerning animals and their care, maintenance, treatment, and well-being generally and during periods of natural disasters and emergency.
“The mayor has established [the committee] a while ago, but now it will become a full-fledged committee,” Councilwoman Kathleen Horgan said.
The committee will provide information to the general public concerning the enforcement of animal cruelty laws and animal safety regulations, as well as the care and treatment of wild animals in the community.
During the council’s regular meeting when the ordinance was adopted on Feb. 14, Mayor Pasquale Menna appointed the members to the Animal Welfare Committee.
Residents who were appointed were Vyolet Savage, Nick Lembesis, Deborah Marks, Pam Befarah, Karen Fasano, Stephen Murphy and Suzanne Viscomi. Horgan will serve as the council liaison to the committee.
Other tasks that the committee will perform will be to offer assistance to pet owners regarding animal poison information, stray cats, licensing, injured and abandoned wildlife, hoarding, spaying and neutering information, dogfighting, animal adoption resources in New Jersey, pet loss and bereavement, humane education, pet friendly housing and the relation of animal welfare with borough ordinances.
The committee will meet on an as-needed basis and shall provide reports to the mayor and council by the end of May and the end of September each year.
The reports will include the committee’s activities and any recommendations that are needed.
The committee will have the opportunity to distribute information on the borough’s website concerning animal welfare issues, once approval from the chief administrative office is granted.
The committee’s first meeting was scheduled for Feb. 21 at borough hall.
As the ordinance stated, committee members will serve for three-year terms.
However, in an effort to not have every member’s term expire at the same time, whenever a new committee is established, the initial terms of service are staggered.
This method will result in only two or three members who will be due for renewal each year. All subsequent reappointments would be for full three-year terms.
Initial committee members will serve the following terms: two members for a term of one year, two members for a term of two years and three members for a term of three years.
For more information visit www.redbanknj.org/agendacenter.
Contact Vashti Harris at vharris@newspapermediagroup.com.
