As others have said here, it's not the breed but the type of people who usually wind up owning them. There is huge network of people in JC who breed and sell pitbulls. I've been working in pet stores for years and only two breeds have ever actually bitten me, chihuahuas and dachshunds! Hundreds of pit bulls have come through the doors and the only danger was being licked to death. These same people come into my store looking for help when they have a sick puppy because it was taken away from its mother at three weeks of age (long before the usual 16 weeks). I do my best to educate them when I can but it usually falls on deaf ears.

I can assure you that pit bulls are entirely domesticated, no less than any other breed of dog. Check out these links before more myths are spread.

The Truth About Pit Bulls

History of the Pit Bull

Sargent Stubby

For the love of god, please have decent tea and you will have my eternal gratitude! Bagged is fine for people who don't know any better but the loose leaf is better by far. The closest "real" tea place is in Montclair so you'd have a corner on the market. (It's called Cha Ma Gu Dao, I strongly suggest check them out). There is a forum called teachat.com. They have a subforum for people who are operating or thinking about opening tea places. The folks there can probably direct you towards some great wholesalers.

Thank you both for doing everything you could for that cat. I can't imagine how frustrated you must have been. I'd be just as heartbroken if I was in the same situation. Shame on the people who tried to berate you here. I have heard similar stories time and time again. I think they need to just clean house and get rid of the existing AC staff, make it a strictly volunteer civilian kind of thing. There are plenty of caring animal people in this city that would be more than willing.

I agree. People around here like to support local businesses. If you give them another option they would prefer that to having to drive all the way to Secaucus. Hamilton Park is getting a dog run soon so that would be a great area to set up shop.

For a community with a lot of animals, the pet store selection is pretty dismal. Without a car, the only ones you can really get to are Village Tropical, The Pet Company (in the Newport Mall) and Canis Minor. With a car there is also Petland Discount on 440. You can try taking the lightrail to either Hoboken or Bayonne. Hoboken has Beowoof (on 5th) and Cornerstone Pets (on 9th). They are both a bit of hike if you are getting a large bag of litter. Bayonne has Colonial House of Pets but they are also a bit of a hike from the lightrail stop on 22nd. You could always try getting heavier things delivered. I believe both Canis Minor and Beowoof do deliveries.

Where do I even begin. LSC has been plagued by these problems since they opened. Exhibits have always been broken and they did not always make sense (even to a science dork like myself). The expansion was poorly executed, took to long and didn't accomplish what it should have. They have indeed priced themselves out of Hudson County, which is sad because the children in Jersey City probably need it more than the suburban children who do get to go there. I am Girl Scout leader and I refuse to bring my girls there for an overnight trip because it is so expensive. They've slept on the Battleship New Jersey and admission to the aquarium for the same price! Another problem is their hours. They are never open later than 6:00. When is a family with working parents supposed to bring their children if they work until 5:00?

If the cats are skinny and appear to be sick then I would assume that they are either strays or were dumped. To be on the safe side, you could try trapping them. Liberty Humane Society might be able to see if they have any microchips. They can also help out with a low cost spay/neuter.

PS: Thanks for the CATJC plug shadrack

While I often enjoy Catherine's column and she was kind enough to come to the cat day that CATJC held a few months back, I hardly think encouraging backyard breeding is a good idea. If a dog was adopted then that usually indicates that they are not of the most ideal genetic stock. Unless they are both show quality animals with a solid genetic background, including being free of diseases, they do not belong breeding them in the first place. There are too many animals in shelters to consider that responsible pet ownership.

I know the cats by my building tend to move their kittens around quite a bit. Something happens that makes them think the current spot is no longer safe so they move them. The one mom is always seen running back and forth, carrying her kittens one by one.

If you haven't already signed up, please do! St. Tammany is giving us a run for our money. All you have to do is simple stuff, add pictures of your pets or write a review, and LHS will get points to help keep them in the lead. Every little bit helps

I cross posted this for you on CATJC. I hope you are able to find her :)

We made the jump to 3 in such a short amount of time! I'm sure everyone on DOGJC and CATJC has had enough of us by now but we're getting there! Keep up the good work everyone. If you don't already have an account, ask someone to refer you. That will score LHS another 50 points.

It's actually not legal to take photos in the NYC Subway anymore. My out-of-state cousins were stopped by an undercover officer when we were on the subway platform.

I agree that photography has nothing to do with terrorism. I've even had family members stopped for taking pictures of the skyline from Hoboken. It is indeed a sad state of affairs. I hope that I won't have to regale my future children with stories of how I was able to photograph anything I wanted when I was their age

Our local shelters are already overcrowded as is, many of these animals will wind up euthanized if we force them to take on more. Take care of the animals and then worry about closing the shelter. They definately should not have SPCA as part of their name. I'm not even sure why they have hudson county in their name. They don't even taken animals from most of the county.

The problem with a demonstration is that it could cause the shelter to be shut down before they can find places for all of the animals to go. They need to be taken care of first! I know the wonderful dog (and animal lovers in general) community in this town would not allow them to get away with this.

This area is amazing! If you enjoy hiking you need to check this place out. It's a bit of an urban oasis.

Horse poop really isn't all that bad Because of the high grass content it tends to decompose much more quickly than dog poop. However, horsebackriders should be responsible for cleaning up after their mounts. Otherwise they will give us horse people a bad wrap (similar to what many dog owners in Jersey City have been subjected to).

I found this thread incredibly interesting. I have yet to see these mysterious riders but I am an equestrian myself and would love to join them, hehe. However, Bayonne does not have a mounted unit. Maybe he trained them in the past. I know they have not for atleast 20 years. Speaking of the stable in Bayonne, does anyone have any info on it? I see it everyday on the lightrail and always wondered about it.