West Orange, NJ - Essex County Executive Joseph N. DiVincenzo, Jr. officially opened the state-of-the-art Animal Hospital at Essex County Turtle Back Zoo on Tuesday, September 20th. Immediately after the press conference, the brand new facility was ready for the zoo's 150 animals should they require medical attention.

 The 6,000-square-foot building is the first facility at Turtle Back Zoo that is exclusively dedicated to animal care and medical treatment. Its opening also concludes a 20-year saga in which previous county administrations planned to build a hospital and started construction, but then abandoned the project due to budget cuts.

 "My administration is committed to transforming Turtle Back Zoo into a first-class educational and recreational destination. As we open new animal exhibits and expand our exhibits, it is important that we have an on-site facility where we can care for our animals in the event of a medical emergency. Building a hospital is a wise decision to provide the best possible care for our animals and protect the investment we are making at the zoo," DiVincenzo said. The County Executive also noted that having an on-site medical facility is an important requirement to earn accreditation from the American Zoological and Aquarium Association. Earning accreditation for Turtle Back Zoo remains an important goal, he added.

 "This is really a dream come true and is something everyone should be proud of," said Freeholder Vice President Patricia Sebold. "It took the vision and leadership of the County Executive to make this happen and here we are standing in a state-of-the-art animal hospital," she noted.

 "I am very pleased with the ongoing support and attention that County Executive DiVincenzo has given to Turtle Back Zoo. After waiting almost two decades, opening this hospital today is like a dream come true for Turtle Back Zoo," said Dr. Jeremy Goodman, a veterinarian and Director of Turtle Back Zoo. "The hospital and medical equipment will help us enhance the high quality of care that we currently provide to our animals," he added.

 The one-story hospital contains examining rooms for animals, an operating room, a laboratory and fenced in outdoor pens. It is equipped with surgical equipment and tables, sterilizing equipment, a variety of diagnostic equipment, lab equipment and a full X-ray machine and processor. The Zoological Society of New Jersey donated $40,000 to help purchase medical equipment and the Goldring Family Foundation, based in Short Hills, donated $25,000 to purchase the X-ray equipment. In addition, St. Barnabas Medical Center donated medical equipment for the Animal Hospital.

 "Turtle Back Zoo is fortunate to have such great friends like the Zoological Society, the Goldring Foundation and St. Barnabas. Government cannot do everything by itself, and their support has been invaluable in helping us continue to raise our level of excellence at the zoo," DiVincenzo said. "Their support is evidence of the renewed confidence and enjoyment our residents have in Turtle Back Zoo," he noted.

 The building was designed by Nicholas J. Netta Architects of Springfield, which received a $168,530 contract. J.A. Alexander of Bloomfield was awarded a $1.65 million contract to build the facility. A portion of a bond ordinance for park improvements that was approved by the previous administration is being used to pay for the project.

 Dr. Goodman noted that the Animal Hospital was constructed to enhance the medical care of the animals at Turtle Back Zoo. Services will not be available for private pets. In addition, the Animal Hospital is not an open exhibit for the public to view. The facility was opened to the public for tours only during the dedication ceremony.

 Under DiVincenzo's leadership, major improvements to modernize and improve Essex County Turtle Back Zoo have been made. The County Executive also hired a full-time zoo director &endash; Dr. Jeremy Goodman &endash; in February 2004. These developments will help Essex County prepare for AZA accreditation.

 Construction of an animal hospital had started almost 20 years ago, but the project was abandoned because of budgetary problems. The foundation of the previous building was completed, but was removed to make way for the new building.

 The Essex County Park System was created in 1895 and is the first county park system in the United States. It has been expanded to include about 6,000 acres of land. There are 17 parks, four reservations, a zoo, ice skating rink, roller skating rink, three public golf courses, golf driving range and miniature golf course. Turtle Back Zoo is located in Essex County's South Mountain Reservation and was opened to the public in 1963.