Help! Time running out for these two NJ shelter dogs, days away from death

🐕 Two dogs at a NJ animal shelter face euthanasia by Oct. 11 if not adopted or fostered.

🚨 Volunteers are racing against time to find homes.

🐕 Shelter and rescuers plead with the community: “Adopt, foster, share, be their hero.”

Update: All 14 time-stamped dogs at the Trenton Animal Shelter were either adopted or fostered before the Oct. 11 deadline.

TRENTON — It's a race against time to get dogs who live at the Trenton Animal Shelter “furever” homes before they are put down, which is only days away.

2 Trenton shelter dogs at risk of euthanasia

There were 14 dogs who desperately needed to find homes or fosters by Wednesday, Oct. 8 or they would have been euthanized, according to Trenton Animal Shelter.

Well, the deadline has passed, and the good news is that 12 of the timestamped dogs  have been either adopted out or put with foster parents.

The shelter wrote on its Facebook page they they've been granted a 72-hour extension to find homes for two dogs, Sal and Cain. Their new deadline is Saturday, Oct. 11 at 4 p.m.

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The 2 time-stamped dogs left at Trenton Animal Shelter

Cain

From TSA: Cain can be timid at first, but he warms up quickly to new people and shows friendly behavior once he feels comfortable. He is not tolerant of other dogs and should not be placed in a home with them.

Cain is playful, people-friendly, and crate-trained. He is best described as a puppy in a big dog’s body.

Sal

From TSA: Sal needs desensitization to different types of interactions with people. He should not go to a home with small people or frail adults, as he likes to jump.

Sal will cry if you leave him anywhere but by your side for a while, but he has no alarming or worrisome issues. Sal is not house-trained.

"Please help us spread the word and find them a loving place to call home," the shelter begged on Facebook.

Time-stamped dogs adopted

The following 12 time-stamped dogs were lucky enough to have been adopted into furever homes, or at least fostered out, where they have a fighting chance either on or before the original Oct. 8 euthanization deadline.

Mbappe

From TAS: Mbpappe had mixed results on many test items and may benefit from desensitization and socialization exercises. He otherwise appeared friendly with people and other dogs and may be a good candidate for adoption.

Mbpappe is dog friendly, people friendly, and playful.

Enzokuhle

From TAS: Enzokuhle pulls hard on a leash when she’s excited. She is friendly with people but likely reactive toward other dogs. With proper handling, she seems to be a good candidate for adoption.

She is high-energy but listens well, a strong walker, so may not be he best for the elderly. She also needs to be housetrained.

Violet

From TAS: Violet needs some desensitization to handling, but is otherwise friendly with people. She does not seem tolerant of other dogs and should not be placed with them.

She is very vocal when she wants attention. She enjoys play and interaction and very sweet.

Jetta

From TSA: Jetta needs time, patience, and support to feel safe. She would benefit from socialization, gentle handling, and positive training (crate and muzzle work). She is best suited for an adult-only home with experienced handlers.

Jetta is very human selective and not dog-friendly, aggressive. She is house-trained, and will require an experienced home prepared to manage her behavior.

Roberta

From TSA: Roberta was timid and nervous, but eventually warmed up to affection from the staff, and displayed looser body language with tail wagging. She likely requires socialization with people to help her be less fearful. She does not appear to be friendly or tolerant with other dogs and should not be placed with them.

She is a vocal pit, with lots of personality, lots of love, and energy. Roberta is not house-trained nor does she understand commands, but she listens well. She is still very anxious, and shy, but very sweet, and just needs more time to decompress and build confidence.

Cedar

From TSA: Cedar is a friendly dog who gets along well with both people and other dogs. He may jump up with excitement, which could be overwhelming for small children, and would benefit from continued training.

All in all, Cedar is dog-friendly, people-friendly, high-energy, and playful.

Cancun

From TSA: Cancun is timid and needs gradual desensitization and socialization, especially with new people. She showed tolerance toward people and other dogs and would do best in a calm home with an experienced adopter.

Cancun likes to bark a lot, but she is extremely dog-friendly, people-friendly, crate-trained, not house-trained, and pretty messy. She is sweet, and just young, but no other issues.

Drake

From TSA: Drake can jump hard and mouth with enough pressure to scratch when he’s excited. So, he may overwhelm small children or frail adults, and would benefit from play training and desensitization. He is friendly with people, and playful with dogs

Drake is a sweetheart. His only issue is the mouthing. But he is house-trained, dog-friendly, obedient, quiet, calm, and sweet.

Kya

From TSA: Kya is strong on a leash and may jump when she’s excited, so basic training would help. She is friendly with people, but reactive to other dogs, so it’s best if she’s in a home without pets.

Kya is people-friendly, and high-energy, and overall, a good adoption candidate.

Graham

From TSA: Graham mouths pretty hard when excited, so he needs guidance in play. He likes to guard his food and toys, and does not like other dogs. He is not suited for homes with small children or other pets.

Graham is a bit on the older side, but still full of personality. He has a bark-for-attention kind of attitude, but is generally easy to handle and care for. He is strong but an easy walk, slow-paced, and obedient. He would definitely do best in an only-dog household.

Lulu

From TSA: Lulu can jump hard and mouth lightly when excited, which may overwhelm small children. Otherwise, she is friendly with people and tolerant of other dogs.

Lulu is a good adoption candidate. She exhibits a wagging tail and tongue-out smile.

Mercer

From TSA: Mercer jumps and mouths when he’s excited, so he needs some guidance in play and calmer interactions. He’s not suited for small children or frail adults, but he is friendly with people, and tolerant of other dogs.

Mercer is obedient, house-trained, and high-energy. He doesn’t always know his own strength with his paws and body, but he is very sweet.

Volunteers rally to save shelter dogs

“This group has around 60 community members volunteering to help save the dogs’ lives at the Trenton Animal Shelter and find them loving, forever homes. We do this by creating and distributing fliers and promoting the dogs on social media,” Daphne Valese, a volunteer for Trenton Rescuers.

Many of the dogs, who are healthy, adoptable animals, were found as strays but are full of life and love, and they deserve a chance to know the comfort and joys of having a family and a home to call their own, she pleaded.

Overcrowding crisis forces ‘doomsday list’

Trenton Animal Shelter, located at 72 Escher Street in the state's capital city, put out an urgent notice on its social media pages saying that, due to overcrowding in the shelter, they are facing a very challenging situation.

“In order to comply with our 20-dog limit and ensure the welfare of all animals in our care, we are left with no choice but to time-stamp the following dogs, as required by NJAC 8:23A,” according to a Facebook statement.

The shelter said it is completely overcrowded and must comply with state requirements. If no adoption or foster is secured by Oct. 11, the shelter will have no option but to euthanize the dogs.

Urgent plea: adopt, foster, share

“But with your help, we can change these dogs’ fate. Adopt. Foster. Share. Be their hero today. Please act fast. These dogs have until Oct. 8^th to find homes. Every effort matters, and together, we can make a real difference,” the shelter pleaded.

Valese and her rescue group, which is unaffiliated with the animal shelter, has been working feverishly to get the word out about these time-stamped dogs, and the urgent plea for adoption.

“They each have their own unique personality to bring to the table that will make their new families fall in love with them,” Valese said. “Many of these dogs are terrified and require more patience and understanding than other dogs. It is truly rewarding and an incredibly emotional experience to see a shelter dog slowly come out of their shell and feel safe and comfortable enough to let their true personality shine through,” she said.

It's important to get the following dogs into foster or adoptive homes before their time runs out to make room for new dogs coming in, Valese continued.

If anyone is interested in adopting the final two dogs, Sal and Cain before Oct. 11, please contact Trenton Animal Shelter here.

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