Still Time for Joy

In June 2024, Toms River Township's 10-year-old animal shelter was abruptly shut down, leaving animal advocates scrambling for solutions. Now, a shared services agreement is in place, which calls for Ocean County to run Toms River's shelter after renovations are completed.

Some residents have rallied and thousands signed a petition, angry that the relatively new shelter was shuttered. They also are unhappy that animal control services have been privatized, after all four township ACOs were let go.

Toms River's situation is not unique; a hodgepodge of municipal and county agencies, and volunteer rescue groups struggle to find homes for unwanted pets all over the country, often at odds over how best to do so.

There's general agreement about the need to spay and neuter companion animals, and that adopting from shelters and rescue groups saves lives.

While the Toms River facility is closed, residents looking for lost pets are advised to contact the Ocean County Animal Shelter in Jackson Township.
https://oceancountyhealth.gov/services/animal-shelters-adoptions-and-pets/
Sandra Levine Productions https://sandralevine.com/

Watch Still Time for Joy as a video podcast on YouTube @SandraLevineProd

Best Friends Animal Society is holding "Bring No-Kill Home Summits" around the country as it strives to reach an ambitious goal: end the killing of adoptable shelter animals in 2025.

For decades, millions of healthy, adoptable animals were euthanized in shelters every year when the facilities ran out of space. Best Friends made a commitment in 2016 (when their statistics showed about two million deaths) to work towards ending that practice by 2025. At the summits, members of the animal welfare community learn innovative techniques to help them save more lives.
Marc Peralta, chief program officer at Best Friends, talks about the heavy toll killing shelter animals takes on the people who joined the field looking to help. He says it is inspiring and fulfilling to work in a lifesaving movement as it moves closer to its goal.
Best Friends started as a sanctuary for unwanted animals in Utah in 1984.
For more than 15 years, "Still Time for Joy" host Sandra Levine produced popular television programs about animal welfare and adoption—including “Homeless Tails”— for NJN, formerly New Jersey's PBS station.

Best Friends Animal Society https://bestfriends.org/
Sandra Levine Productions https://sandralevine.com/

Watch Still Time for Joy as a video podcast on YouTube @SandraLevineProd

For people living with Alzheimer's and other forms of dementia, memories of music often remain, even after so many others are gone. With the help of a book, "Music, Memory, and Meaning", co-authored by music therapist Tara Jenkins, caregivers can learn how to use music to bring some joy to their loved ones, and in some cases, even reduce difficult behaviors.

Jenkins, founder of Harmony in Dementia, has been a board-certified music therapist since 2008. She wrote the book to give caregivers and their loved ones another way to connect, even when the person living with dementia is no longer able to speak.

The book explains why music is such a powerful tool, provides playlists of popular songs, as well as information and questions that serve as a starting point for engaged discussions.

Watch Still Time for Joy as a video podcast on YouTube @SandraLevineProd

Harmony in Dementia https://www.harmonyindementia.com/
Sandra Levine Productions https://sandralevine.com/
#dementiacaregiving #musictherapy #powerofmusic

When is the last time you explored the night sky firsthand and looked at the moon and the stars? Watch this episode with beautiful images of the moon, the Milky Way, and more, to be inspired to get outside and look up.
Jim Webster, president of the Astronomical Society of the Toms River Area (ASTRA), says we all should explore the night sky more often. ASTRA holds "Star Parties", where members share their telescopes and knowledge with newcomers and anyone interested in astronomy.
In this interview, Webster talks about opportunities for citizen science, as well as the importance of reducing light pollution, which makes stargazing more difficult, and affects people, plants, and animals.
Astronomical Society of the Toms River Area meets at the planetarium at Ocean County College https://www.astra-nj.com/
SciStarter (citizen science) https://scistarter.org/
DarkSky International https://darksky.org/
List of Astronomy Clubs in the US https://nightsky.jpl.nasa.gov/clubs/
Sandra Levine Productions https://sandralevine.com/

Watch Still Time for Joy as a video podcast on YouTube @SandraLevineProd

Grief is an inevitable part of the caregiver journey, especially in dementia caregiving. Grief may not be acknowledged as people living with Alzheimer's disease and other forms of dementia are still present, even as caregivers watch with despair as they slip away, often over the course of many years.

Caregivers also grieve the changes to their own lives, as dementia caregiving can quickly become all-consuming, and exact a heavy financial toll, significantly altering the way caregivers expected to live their lives.

Deb Hallisey, certified dementia practitioner and caregiver advocate, explains several experiences of grief that may be a part of the caregiving journey: ambiguous loss, anticipatory grief, and grief relief. She also outlines strategies caregivers can use to help alleviate sadness, including accurately naming feelings, seeking support—online or in-person—therapy, journaling, and more.

Advocate for Mom and Dad https://advocateformomanddad.com/
Sandra Levine Productions https://sandralevine.com/

Watch Still Time for Joy as a video podcast on YouTube @SandraLevineProd