Local volunteer group finds dogs and cats forever homes

Few things in life rival the feeling of coming home to find a furry friend waiting for you. Whether it’s a dog wagging its tail, panting with excitement, or a cat looking for a rub, pets make us feel valued, supported and loved.

Yet according to the most recent data from the ASPCA, “approximately 6.5 million companion animals enter U.S. animal shelters nationwide every year. Of those, approximately 3.3 million are dogs and 3.2 million are cats.”

One local organization, CLAWS, the Closter Animal Welfare Society, is making a significant impact in our community. The all-volunteer organization places dogs and cats of all ages in need of homes with loving families. Last year alone, CLAWS placed 235 cats and 56 dogs with families throughout the tri-state area.

Val Buchtmann, a 20-year veteran of CLAWS and the current organization president, oversees the group’s various initiatives.

“We get [the animals] groomed and then we get them ready for adoption. If an animal has an ongoing medical condition, we certainly divulge it and what the costs may be down the line.”

Last year CLAWS’ veterinary bills were over $120,000, which included emergency care, spaying and neutering, vaccines and dental care, to ensure that animals are given the attention they need and are ready to be adopted by their permanent families.

If more families looking to add a furry friend to their home practiced the “adopt don’t shop” mentality we’d have far less homeless pets across the nation. Bergen County with its countless local parks, wooded trails and in some cases our own backyards, makes for the perfect forever home for cats and dogs of every breed and size.

While many families are interested in younger animals, (who doesn’t love puppies and kittens), often overlooked middle-aged and senior pets are the perfect fit for some families.

“We do a lot of little, older dogs, we don’t want them sitting in a shelter,” said Buchtmann. “Maybe they have two or three more years in their life; we clean them up, if they need dental done, we do that, if they need spaying or neutering we do that and then we put them up for adoption. Almost every one of our dogs get adopted.”

Buchtmann noted, "the home is visited to make sure it’s the proper home and we even trial the animal in the home for a couple of weeks.”

This past week CLAWS received a call about four kittens and a mother cat living outdoors in need of a home. In just a few days, they’ve all been given medical care and have been permanently placed with loving families stretching from Northern New Jersey to Long Island. CLAWS aims to respond to calls about animals in need within 24 hours—an impressive feat for an all-volunteer organization.

CLAWS’ network of 75 active volunteers, ranges from middle school age students to adults and seniors. Volunteers staff adoption days in community pet stores throughout Bergen and Hudson counties, including in Closter, Dumont, Edgewater and Secaucus. In between adoption days, CLAWS volunteers are busy fostering dogs and cats, connecting with families interested in adoption and coordinating veterinary care.

CLAWS also offers families in need access to its pet food pantry. At the facility in Bergenfield, families that are struggling financially can pick up dog and cat food, free of charge. Not only does this ease the burden on families and seniors that may be on a fixed income, it also keeps animals in loving homes.

“Some people have lost their jobs and suddenly can’t afford to feed their families, much less their animals,” said Buchtmann. “We decided this was a worthwhile cause because then we don’t need to take the animal, we can help families keep them in their homes. A lot of people aren’t aware we do this, and we’re one of the only pet food pantries in Bergen County.”

The pantry provides pet food to approximately 40 local families every week.

Local kids play a big part in stocking the pet food pantry through food drives. Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts and kids doing community service and mitzvah projects have done drives in grocery stores, with some bringing in hundreds of dollars worth of food for the pantry.

Volunteers get involved with CLAWS for various reasons, but at heart they are all animal lovers.

“It’s the joy of finding these animals good homes…we rescue, rehabilitate and we rehome, and that’s what motivates me,” said Buchtmann. “I’m happy to see them go to good homes and I know that they’re not out there suffering in the heat and cold.”

And while it may be difficult for a foster family to give up a dog or cat they’ve become attached to, the moment a pet is placed in a forever home is what CLAWS volunteers work so tirelessly to achieve.

If you or someone you know is interested in adopting a pet, visit https://www.clawsadopt.org. If you want to get involved and help CLAWS continue to place pets in need with loving families, please visit https://www.clawsadopt.org/ways-to-help-1, for more information.