Animal control contract
Dear South Amboy City,
This is a request for public records made under OPRA and the common law right of access. I am not required to fill out an official form. Please acknowledge receipt of this message.
Records requested:
1.The current contract between South Amboy and Woodbridge Township Animal Control for animal control services
2. If the contract is active, is South Amboy current with any payments due to Woodbridge Township Animal Control?
3. If the contract with Woodbridge Township Animal Control is no longer active, who is currently providing animal control services (stray animal intake) for the city of South Amboy?
Yours faithfully,
Elizabeth Mattfield
Please find your OPRA results for your submission of 8/15.
Active - Payment is set to be made for the Jan’22 through June’22 services
on 9/7/22.
Yes – Current w/payments.
Please confirm receipt-
Dear Linda,
Thank you so much for the prompt response. Woodbridge Animal Shelter has been turning away South Amboy residents and refusing to pick up or intake stray kittens found by South Amboy residents. The reason they cited according to the resident with whom my rescue spoke was that "South Amboy did not pay its bill."
Is there anywhere that I can report this? Clearly South Amboy is paying for a service and not receiving it, and residents are getting desperate enough to call us for help.
Yours sincerely,
Elizabeth Mattfield
Hi Elizabeth, I forwarded your complaint to our Business Administrator. When he gets back to then I'll get in touch with you.
Give me about 2 days.
Our contract with Woodbridge is valid and we are up to date with payment. I will reach out to Woodbridge to determine why they did not respond to pickup a stray domestic animal per the agreement.
Glenn R. Skarzynski, MPA
Business Administrator
Dear Linda ,
Thank you so much for the response. I'm so sorry that this happened to your residents and staff.
Yours sincerely,
Elizabeth Mattfield
I followed up with Woodbridge. Below is their response from their ACO via their Township Administration:
"I was personally in South Amboy on a cat call last week.
We just told a South Amboy resident to pick up a trap today to TNR cats."
Woodbridge is obliged and continues to provide the services as outlined in our shared services agreement.
Please recall them if needed there shouldn't be a problem.
Dear Linda,
I cannot thank you enough for the follow-up.
The residents were calling about friendly cats (non-TNR) and kittens, so these were not the TNR case that the ACO was referencing--we will let them know to persist with the shelter since the contract clearly includes intake.
Have a great weekend and thanks again!
Elizabeth Mattfield