You'd be hard-pressed to find another cafe like this one anywhere in America. Sadly, due to COVID, it has closed.

The popular Catsbury Park Cafe on Cookman Avenue in Asbury Park announced that they have closed its doors for good.

Listen to Matt Ryan weekday afternoons on 94.3 The Point and download our free 94.3 The Point app.  

The concept of this eatery/cat rescue was brilliant. Draw the public in with coffee, pastries, and other treats. On the opposite side of the cafe was a cat shelter separated by clear glass. As patrons enjoyed a cup of joe, they could meet and bond with cats that were looking for forever homes.

The loyal community showed its support and well wishes.

The Jersey Shore Says Goodbye to Catsbury Park Cafe in Asbury Park

Catsbury Park opened in 2017 and was the brainchild of DJ Bornschein. He told the Asbury Park Press that his calling of rescuing cats and finding them new homes started in a spare bedroom in his house and eventually grew into the hybrid cafe-rescue organization.

Just to give you an example of how amazing the staff and volunteers of Catsbury Park are, when the pandemic shut them down a little over a year ago, they were able to find the 27 cats waiting for adoption in new homes in a matter of two days.

Over the years, Catsbury Park has saved the lives of hundreds and hundreds of area cats. The good news out of this story is that the cat rescuing will not stop.

DJ Bornschein told the Asbury Park Press:

Being a nonprofit animal rescue, we have a fiduciary responsibility to our donors and our supporters to use our funds for rescuing cats and not handing over to our landlord for a space we can't use. So it just seemed like the right time to cut our losses.

Catsbury Park is re-focusing and will continue to do what they do best. Rescue. If you would like to assist them in their mission, you can make a donation, here.

Check out catsburypark.com for the latest news. Thanks to DJ and his crew for all of the hours put in and all of the fur baby lives saved.

LOOK: Here are the 25 best places to live in New Jersey

Stacker compiled a list of the best places to live in New Jersey using data from Niche. Niche ranks places to live based on a variety of factors including cost of living, schools, health care, recreation, and weather. Cities, suburbs, and towns were included. Listings and images are from realtor.com.

On the list, there's a robust mix of offerings from great schools and nightlife to high walkability and public parks. Some areas have enjoyed rapid growth thanks to new businesses moving to the area, while others offer glimpses into area history with well-preserved architecture and museums. Keep reading to see if your hometown made the list.

The 100 Best Places to Live on the East Coast

More From 94.3 The Point