About/Contact Us

Our Background

West Jersey Volunteers for Animals (WJVA) is an all-volunteer group formed in 1998 by four volunteers determined to improve life quality, medical care, and adoption rates for the 2,200 animals that passed through West Jersey Animal Shelter each year.

In four short years, our group dramatically decreased euthanasia at the shelter to an average of 5 dogs and 50 domesticated cats per year (down from 300 dogs and 400 cats). We also substantially increased medical care at the shelter, spending many thousand dollars annually to save sick and injured animals that would otherwise be euthanized. We provided hundreds of vaccines and spay/neuter operations to prevent sickness and overpopulation. We gave shelter animals exercise and affection every day. We developed events and publicity materials to promote animal adoptions.

We are very gratified that our work, along with generous public support, helped save over 700 orphaned animals each year for the past eight years.

Who We Are Today ---
Still Saving Lives

Sadly, in January 2006, West Jersey Animal Shelter was forced to close due to a drastic need for repairs. While our group is very dismayed at the loss, we have not lost our passion to help and save homeless animals. We all know there are still thousands of suffering animals out there that need our help!

Our group is still strong with 20 to 30 active volunteers with years of experience providing homeless animals with affection, exercise, medical care, foster homes, training, and publicity. And during the last eight years, our group gained a great deal of wonderful contacts and support in the areas of general animal care, veterinary care, pet grooming and boarding, training, resolution of pet behavior problems, food donations, and fund-raising. We are dedicated to continue to use all of these fantastic resources to carry on our work on behalf of homeless and suffering animals.