As vacationers leave Jersey Shore, some leaving pets behind

As the summer vacation season nears an end, authorities are concerned about a potential increase in the number of abandoned pets in New Jersey Shore towns.

It’s a problem that occurs throughout the year when people move and don’t take their pets with them, said Buddy Amato is chief of police for the Monmouth County SPCA. But it happens more frequently as Shore visitors leave summer homes and rentals.

“Kids bring home a cat they find during the summer on vacation in a rental. They’re taking care of it, they’re feeding it, and then, by the time they move, this cat is depending on someone feeding it and taking care of it because they found it as a kitten and they’re leaving it behind,” he said. “Now it can’t fend for itself.”

Realtors find the lucky pets before they suffer harm from the lack of food and water, Amato said. But the grim reality is that some of the abandoned animals starve to death.

Amato advises those who can’t afford to take the pets with them or are prohibited from having them at their new location to contact the local animal shelter instead of just abandoning them.