NEW YORK (WCBS 880) – At least eight abandoned German Shepherds have been found throughout North Jersey over the past week. A local animal refuge is looking to find them homes, as well as where they came from.
The dogs were in poor condition— thin, covered in ticks and very shy—when they were found in Wayne, Closter and Woodland Park.
The rescued pups, including Shelby, Mason and Samson, may be siblings, according to Aubrey Durenberger, operations manager at the Ramapo-Bergen Animal Refuge in Oakland.
Durenberger said it’s suspicious that so many German Shepherds who look similar were found in such close proximity to one another.
“We’re trying to see are they related, doing DNA tests to see is this something like a puppy mill situation, where they are being bred and released. So we’re just trying to gather more information,” Durenberger said.
The refuge believes the dogs may be victims of backyard breeding.
“There were the sightings of others, but you know, it’s hard to know who’s connected to who,” Durenberger said. “There are of course several other shelters that have received Shepherds recently.”
In addition to finding out where they came from, rescuers want to find them new homes. The community has been helpful in finding the dogs, with some people offering to adopt, Durenberger said.
With more people returning their adopted dogs as they go back to work in person, Durenberger is reminding potential owners that caring for a dog is a lifetime commitment.
“We want to make sure that everyone—whether it’s in the pandemic or after, going back to work, working from home—is bringing them in and just welcoming them in as a permanent member of the family,” Durenberger said.
More information about the dogs up for adoption can be found on the shelter’s Facebook page. Adoption applications can be completed online at rbari.org. Please email adoptlove@rbari.org with questions.