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Although a vote to enter into an animal control contract agreement with the Associated Humane Societies [AHS] of Tinton Falls passed by a 4 to 1 vote during Wednesday night’s City Council meeting, Deputy Mayor Amy Quinn, who cast the sole no vote, said she could not support an organization that puts animals down.

“I was a volunteer there for five years,” Quinn said prior to the vote. “I think their conditions are subpar. What happens with the dogs at the Humane Society is that when the [Newark] kennel is full, they send the dogs to Monmouth County and then they put our dogs to sleep.”

Local AHS General Manager Veronica Ehrenspeck said the nonprofit agency euthanizes an animal as a last resort, most typically for aggression or illness.

“I think our shelter is better than no-kill shelters that close their doors to everyone except those with healthy animals,” Ehrenspeck said. “We’ll take every, and any animal and will do our best for every animal that walk through our door.”

Ehrenspeck said as a general rule a stray will remain in hold for a week to allow time for the animal to be reclaimed by owner. If that does not occur, the process of spay or neutering the animal and vaccination is done prior to being placed up for adoption.

Although animals are typically adopted within a year, those that are not are reevaluated and a social media campaign to spotlight the pet is launched. Ehrenspeck said they work with close to 50 rescues to further place an animal before making the decision to euthanize.

“If we have no room or cage space, we try to reach out to our rescues,” she said. “If the rescues cannot help us, unfortunately, I think every shelter is put into that place where you have to decide to look at possibly euthanizing an animal.”

This summer, a petition with over 200 signatures and a formal protest was held after AHS suspended its volunteer program when allegations of animal abuse came to light. The allegations claimed that volunteers were responsible for the death and injuries of animals in their care.

The volunteer program in place at that time was dissolved and new volunteers were trained, officials had said.

The city paid AHS over $50,000 in 2015 to serve as the municipality’s animal rescue agency. From 2012 to 2014, over 1,300 of Asbury Park’s dogs, cats, birds, and wildlife were taken in by the humaine society, according to the Asbury Park Police Department records.

Quinn said she recognizes that AHS was the city’s only animal control option but she could not support the agreement.

“I understand why the city is doing this but, in good conscience, I cannot vote for an organization that puts down Monmouth County Dogs,” Quinn said. “I looked everywhere under the sun to get anyone else to take Asbury Park. Because we have so many pits [Pit Bulls], and so many [other] dogs and cats, it’s very hard to get anyone to take us on; quite frankly nobody else will.”

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