Editor’s Note: For the next three weeks, The Sun looks into the state of homeless pets in South Jersey and what is being done to find homes — and futures — for thousands of animals. This article is one of four featured in the second week of this series.
Another notable aspect to the work of animal shelters and groups is the interconnected web of partnerships that exist between the organizations.
As live release rates rise and fewer animals face euthanasia, part of that trend might be attributed to the transfer of animals from one facility to another.
According to Camden County Animal Shelter Executive Director Vicki Rowland, the live release rate of the CCAS has “drastically” increased in recent years, part of which includes animals being transferred to other rescues, such as the Animal Welfare Association in Voorhees and the Animal Adoption Center in Lindenwold.
“We work together,” Rowland said. “If I’m in my busy season and I don’t have any room, the Animal Welfare Association will reach out. We heavily rely on transfers.”
Maya Richmond, executive director of the AWA, said about half of the animals at the AWA facility come from such transport relationships, with AWA having relationships with shelters in and out of New Jersey.
As just one example, Richmond said the AWA now works with the Cape May County Animal shelter as that gets very little foot traffic and can be overcrowded.
As such, Richmond said the AWA now goes to that shelter at least twice or three times a month and brings animals to AWA where more people come to look for a new pet.
As the AWA is also equipped to handle the medical needs of animals as opposed to other shelters and groups, oftentimes Richmond said the AWA might help a facility such as the CCAS, which might have too many sick cats and might otherwise be forced to euthanize.
“Those are cats that wouldn’t be able to be adopted out right away that need that extra care, so we transport them into our sick ward,” Richmond said. “We’re fairly cooperative as a group.”
Members of the Camden County Animal Alliance, of which the AWA is a part, also share an animal management database, which uses a backend portal to link the different facilities’ lost and found sections together. Richmond said the system is useful for those who bring lost pets to the doors of the AWA.
“If somebody’s got a pet right then and there, we can find a lost report possibly filed online that could have been filed at any of the other shelters, and we can help that person make those contacts right then and there,” she said.
