CNBNews

Under the direction of the Gloucester County Board of Commissioners and with guidance from the Animal Shelter Advisory Committee and the County Health Department, the Gloucester County Animal Shelter (GCAS) became operational in July 1990 with the completion of the Animal Shelter building in Clayton. The GCAS operated as a division of the Gloucester County Health Department to address the growing rabies problems in the early 1990s. In 1994, the Gloucester County Board of Commissioners designated the shelter and its services as the Department of Animal Shelter, operating independently of other departments.

Peyton Cleary

Expansions

Since our inception, the GCAS has had multiple expansions to comply with state laws and address the needs of animals. In 2002, we completed our first expansion which gave us an additional 1,500 square feet and a larger adoption area. We opened Gloucester County's first-ever low-cost Spay/Neuter clinic in 2015 when we added a 4,000 square foot facility to provide low-cost spay/neuter services. In 2018, we broke ground to build a 2,200 square foot Animal Control Office/Triage facility. This addition includes 22 cat cages and 7 dog runs. 

Currently, the GCAS has 64 kennel runs for dogs and 200 cats cages.

Impoundment & Adoption

The Animal Shelter functions as an impoundment and adoption facility for the public, handling over 3,000 domestic animals per year. The shelter staffs 29 employees who provide services in two ways: Animal Control services and Animal Shelter services. 

Staff & Partnership

Our Animal Control Unit is comprised of Animal Control Officers who have been certified by the New Jersey State Department of Health and perform animal control duties for the 24 municipalities of Gloucester County. We work with the local Police Department for animal cruelty issues and other animal shelters and animal control units to help out-of-county residents in contacting the proper departments for help. In addition, the GCAS has a Rabies Control program that is responsible for animal bite surveillance, animal quarantine, and specimen preparation for testing.

Events

Several times a year the shelter hosts events that we invite the public to attend including an Open House and Bring Your Child to Work Day (check our Upcoming Events page for dates and times!) We also provide educational programs for schools and other interested groups, promoting responsible pet ownership and spay/neuter practices.

We hope you enjoy your visit here and will come to see us soon! "Love, License, and Leash your pet!"

Leaving Animals

Please do not leave animals at the shelter after business hours. If you have found a stray animal after business hours, we encourage you to make every effort to keep the pet comfortable until we are open.

Donation

Make a donation to the Animal Shelter through PayPal.