Though the future of The Real Housewives of New Jersey remains TBD, star Dolores Catania is keeping busy.
Dolo has always had a heart for animals. On August 20, Dolo helped welcome dozens of shelter pets to New Jersey in hopes of finding their forever home.
130 animals at risk of euthanasia flew to New Jersey and New Hampshire from overpopulated Southern shelters. They included harder to place pets, such as large dogs, homeless cats and animals in need of ongoing care.
Dolores Catania and daughter Gabby were on hand to welcome the rescued pets
Sponsored by NBCUniversal Local’s Clear The Shelters and Greater Good Charities, the flight traveled from New Orleans to New Jersey. From there, 85 dogs and cats went to four local shelters for fostering or adoption. The remaining animals flew on to New Hampshire, going to four more shelters there.
“There’s an overpopulation issue in the South,” Jeremy Colborn of Greater Good Charities told NBC New York. “These are animals that wouldn’t normally get adopted down there. We move them somewhere they can … find those forever homes.”
In the meantime, Dolores, who often donates her time and money to animal shelters, joined her daughter, veterinarian Gabby Catania, welcoming dogs and cats at the Morristown Airport. After cuddling with a couple of cute puppies, they helped load the pets into the local shelters’ vans.
“There is just such a need for getting pets out of the shelters,” Gabby explained. “It’s so important to just consider adopting and even fostering. If you can’t commit to adoption, fostering allows you to make a pet way more adoptable by getting them used to a home setting. But it also makes room for another pet that might need room in a shelter. So you’re helping two pets just by having one in your home, which is amazing.”
Altogether, Clear the Shelters has saved more than 600 combined shelter pets. Not only are they running an adoption campaign throughout the month of August, but their extended donation drive began in July and continues through September 15.
As of the beginning of 2025, Clear the Shelters has had a hand in nearly 1.2 million pet adoptions and raised over $5 million for shelters and rescues.
The Real Housewives of New Jersey is now streaming on Peacock in the US and on Hayu in the UK and Ireland.
TELL US – HAVE YOU EVER ADOPTED A SHELTER PET? WOULD YOU CONSIDER FOSTERING ONE?
