The Animal Control Division responds to complaints involving domestic animals as well as certain wildlife complaints affecting the health and safety of the general public. We are the primary enforcement agency for the township’s Animal Control regulations and NJ Animal Cruelty laws. Each November we hold a rabies clinic where dogs and cats can receive free vaccinations. We are available 24 hours a day for emergencies. David Blumig fills the part-time position and he is state certified as an Animal Control Officer.

IMPORTANT CONTACT NUMBERS: East Brunswick Animal Control 1 Jean Walling Civic Center Drive E Brunswick NJ 08816 732-390-6960 Telephone 732-390-6970 Fax dblumig@ebpd.net  email Blumig Kennels 732-251-3210 Shelter services for East Brunswick, South Brunswick and New Brunswick Sayrebrook Animal Shelter 732-727-3895 Shelter services for Spotswood, Helmetta, South River and Sayreville Franklin Township Animal Shelter 732-249-2252 Shelter services for North Brunswick and Milltown Old Bridge Municipal Animal Shelter 732-721-4000

FAQ

What are the steps i should take if my pet should become lost?

1. First, check and make sure the animal is not hiding somewhere in your house. This is particularly important in the case of new pets or cats that never go outside. Then check your yard, paying special attention to areas under decks, porches or outdoor structures. Check in your garage.

2. If the pet is not located, immediately notify the Animal Control Officer and police department. Do not delay and wait days hoping your pet will come home. The sooner you get the word out about your missing pet, the better the odds of finding it.

3. Search your neighborhood or the area where the animal was lost and let people know that it is missing. Call your pet’s name. A lost pet will often hide during the day, so be sure to go out at night as well. Let your mail carrier know about your missing pet. They are in your neighborhood everyday and they pay attention to loose dogs.

4. Call local animal shelters. Someone may have found your pet and dropped it off there without going through the animal control officer.

5. Make lost pet posters, using a photo if you have one. Offer a reward. Be sure to use a telephone number where you can be reached 24 hours a day. Put them up within a one mile radius of where the pet was lost. Drop off, fax or email a copy of the poster to this office. Also leave a copy with local veterinarians and groomers. If your pet was injured, someone may have taken it directly to a vet. There is a public bulletin board at the dog park located at Heavenly Farms Park on Dunhams Corner Road. Place one there. Also, public notice boards at local grocery stores are a good place to leave one. Lastly, a motorist not from this area may have picked up your pet. Lost pet posters placed at intersections are a good way to get the word out. PLEASE BE SURE TO WRITE DOWN THE LOCATION OF EACH FLYER AND REMOVE THEM AFTER YOUR PET IS LOCATED.

6. Place an ad in the Home News and Tribune and Sentinel newspapers under the lost pet section. Also, check these papers everyday for a listing under the found pet section.

7. Contact East Brunswick Township’s Public Access TV at www.ebpl.org/ebtv/announcement_form.cfm to have a lost pet announcement posted on Channel 3. You can email them a picture of the pet to be included with the posting.

8. Most important, even before your pet is lost, make sure all your pets are wearing a collar with ID tags. This is critical in the case of cats, even indoor cats. Your cat will not stand out from all the stray cats in your neighborhood without a tag. Each week we receive reports of indoor cats who somehow escape outside. Without ID, there is little chance of your cat being returned to you if it wanders far from your yard. Also, consider having your pets implanted with a microchip. This is a permanent form of identification that can be read by most veterinarians, ACO’s and animal shelters. Check with your veterinarian for details.

If your pet is returned to you, make sure to notify everyone you informed about your lost pet, including this office.

DO NOT GIVE UP HOPE. OWNERS OF LOST ANIMALS WHO FOLLOW THESE STEPS HAVE HAD THEIR PETS RETURNED MONTHS AFTER THEIR PETS WERE LOST.

Am I required to license my dog or cat?

Under both township ordinance and New Jersey state law all dogs, 7 months old or older, must be licensed. In order to obtain a license an animal must have a current vaccination against Rabies. In East Brunswick, cats, including outdoor cats that you provide any care for, must also be vaccinated against Rabies and licensed. Licensing violations are the most common court summons issued. Further information about licensing can be obtained by calling the Revenue office at 390-6828.

My neighbor’s dog barks all the time and they let it run loose in the neighborhood. What can I do?

An owner is responsible to keep his pet reasonably quiet. Also, any dog off of the owner’s property must be on a leash no longer than 8’ long and the owner must clean up after his dog by removing any feces left by the pet. If you are having a problem with a neighbor and their pet, please call this office. A letter can be sent to your neighbor explaining the local laws regarding pet ownership. If the problems continue you may be required to appear in municipal court.

I constantly see wildlife in my backyard. Are these animals dangerous and what can I do about them?

East Brunswick has a rich diversity of wildlife living within our borders. Everything from chipmunks and snakes to deer, coyote and even a bear, have been found at one time or another in our town. These animals are generally no threat to humans, however they are wild animals, and as such should be considered unpredictable and treated with respect.

We will respond to calls involving endangered or rare species as well as sick or injured wildlife creating a definite public health threat. We do not, however, trap and relocate nuisance wildlife. New Jersey Fish and Game laws require a specific set of circumstances before wildlife can be disturbed. Also, due to the current rabies epidemic, state wildlife regulations prohibit the release of wildlife anywhere other than the location where it was trapped. This area has reached the saturation point for those types of wildlife usually involved in nuisance complaints. Those animals already established drive off animals released into an already overpopulated area. Newly introduced animals generally die from exposure or are struck by motor vehicles as they move from one area to the next looking for a home. It is for these reasons, that unless they are living in your fireplace, attic or are doing extensive damage to your property, wildlife should be left alone. A local exterminator or wildlife pest control operator can remove problem wildlife. Check with the company that provides your home’s pest control services or look in the phone book under Pest Control.