Communities Promoting Animal Welfare NJ (CPAW NJ) is a new tax exempt nonprofit organization based in Montclair. The organization is dedicated to helping people keep their pets by preventing animals from being surrendered to shelters, as well as assisting those who work to control and care for the community cat population.
CPAW NJ aims to keep animals out of shelters by providing their knowledge, expertise and resources to anyone considering giving up their pet. This preserves the emotional bond between humans and their pets and keeps cats out of shelters. People seeking help can find cat behavior advice on CPAW NJ’s website, as well as individual counseling and assistance in finding food. Rather than build a building or foster cats, CPAW NJ will partner with as many community members and organizations as possible to keep people and pets together.
CPAW NJ will also work to keep animals out of shelters by controlling the population of community cats through promoting trap, neuter, vaccinate and return (TNVR). CPAW NJ applauds people who care for the community cats in their neighborhoods and will partner with them and private organizations to engage more proactively in this life saving practice. Collaboration will spur more efficiency and enhance the possible success in maximizing the use of scarce resources.
Through education and awareness of TNVR for community cats and alternatives to pet surrender, CPAW NJ will decrease the burden placed on local animal shelters.
“We believe that by collaborating with local community members, we will be able to most effectively accomplish our humane goal of promoting animal welfare,” said Karen Shinevar, one of the founders of CPAW NJ. “I think most people would agree that it’s best for animals and their humans to remain a family and to make sure the community cat population is neutered and vaccinated.”
Shinevar, Marie-Christine Lochot and Rafik Tawadrous founded CPAW NJ with a mission to keep animals out of shelters through helping people keep their pets and by controlling the population of community cats. The organization values compassion, collaboration and celebration in order to promote animal welfare…four paws at a time.
Anyone interested in getting involved with CPAW NJ’s efforts is encouraged to visit online here.
The Supporters of the Bloomfield Animal Shelter in partnership with Montclair’s Amanti Vino are holding “Pours for Paws,” a wine-tasting event, on Tuesday, June 13, at 7:30 at the Knights of Columbus in Nutley.
The Bloomfield Animal Shelter, in partnership with 
The Supporters of the Bloomfield Animal Shelter will host a “Kitten Shower” on May 6 and 7 from 12-3 p.m.
