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Community Corner

Brookhaven Shelter Animals Get Some Free Love

Shelter event helps get pets into homes.

Brookhaven Town Animal Shelter & Adoption Center recently held Free Love Weekend, an event where pet-seeking people could adopt an animal for no added adoption fees.

By the end of the first day, 11 dogs and 4 cats had already found homes. Of the approximately 300 animals that reside at the shelter, the majority of them are pit bulls. Pit bulls are often over-bred before becoming victims of foreclosures or evictions, leaving them no place to go but the shelter. As a result of this over-breeding, programs have been set up to deal with the issue head on.

“One of them is called ‘Spay it Forward,’” said Dori Scofield, director of the shelter. “We’re trying to get some funding to go out into communities like Mastic. Almost every dog in this shelter is from Mastic or Mastic Beach. We go into these towns and do free spay and neuter for pit bulls.”

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Scofield also started the Brookhaven Bully Alliance, a group that has been formed to help other non-profit organizations take in the "Bully breeds" for adoption. The Shelter makes sure that the animals are already spayed, vaccinated and have a microchip implant to help track them if they get lost before handing them to another organization. Participating non-profits will receive $250 for each dog that they save. Before the program was established, there were more than 200 Bully breed dogs in the shelter.

“The things we’re doing here are really innovative,” said shelter volunteer Laura Zambita. “We’re just trying to think outside the box, and do things that are really good for the community, but mostly for the dogs; To get them into safe-havens, not just out. That’s the most important thing."

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Adoptions for this event were free, but would otherwise cost less than $100, and include a microchip implant, heartworm testing, vaccination and spay/neuter. Background checks are required for adoption.

The shelter is open seven days a week. To adopt or volunteer, visit the website.

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