Animal Welfare Society Prepares Open House for Animal Lovers

COURT HOUSE – For animals and the humans who love them, it’s a grand new season at the Animal Welfare Society.
Volunteers preparing for the Society’s Nov. 12-13 gala Open House say they’re pleased that the public will have a chance to see the renovations made to the expansive Route 47 facility that is devoted to the rescue, sheltering and placement of animals in need of a home.
Changes start on the exterior – with a new roof and fencing, siding in process, and neatened landscaping that highlights the Society’s rustic setting – then carry indoors, where new cabinetry, tables, shelving and entire new areas like a pet “sick bay” now serve the animal population.
There’s even a new “Assisted Living Room” for felines whose advanced ages make it improbable that they will be adopted. Small clipboards hang on the wall, recording the name, age and progress of each animal. From private cages or blanketed play areas, each elderly feline resident now enjoys a quiet, well-lit room in the companionship of other seniors.
Next to the Assisted Living Room, younger cats with beautiful coats and expressive eyes preen and cavort in an area where prospective families are welcomed to meet them. Two renovated bathing areas are available to bathe the cats, and, in a large, climate-controlled room overlooking the facility’s back yard, cats roam and play in yet another room – this one oversized – where volunteers can join them to play or simply rest quietly.
Licensed for up to 45 cats, the Society currently houses about 30. Operations Manager Betty Little said the group is testing to determine the optimal number at which it can provide sufficient attention to each of its temporary feline residents.
This week, two spectacular white cats joined those awaiting adoption. Brothers named “Crosby and Nash,” they had to be left behind when their owner moved to the Carolinas. Despite their folk rock names, the duo seemed to be thoroughly enjoying the classical music that plays lightly throughout the facility.
“I’m hoping they can go together, that somebody will want to adopt them both,” explained Little, who typically is at the facility seven days a week and treats each of the animals with tangible fondness.
The Society also provides a home to dogs, currently housing about seven in individual cages containing food, water and blanket supplies refreshed by volunteers throughout the day. Outside, 14 renovated dog runs provide an excellent opportunity for the dogs’ fresh air exercise. Little noted that, as with the Society’s cat population, some of the older dogs will be difficult to place with families.
“But we’ve had a lot of luck turning over the few extra ones that we always seem to take in,” she said.
Visitors to the Nov. 12-13 Open House also will see the new “Animal Food Bank” in action. A recent innovation, it’s intended to assist families throughout the county in meeting some of the costs of feeding their pets during harsh economic times.
The Society has a core of about 20 volunteers and always welcomes more. Many help out several times a week – including Debbie and Gordon Gager of Middle Township and Atco; Ellen Minahan of North Cape May; Carol Wildman of Rio Grande; and Mary Turner and Monica Supoch, both of Cape May Court House.
In addition to Little, who serves as the group’s Treasurer, officers of the Animal Welfare Society include Harry Weimar, president; Barnett Carney, vice-president; and Lisa Radell, secretary.
The officers also serve on the Board of Trustees, together with Suzann Callinan, Wayne Radell, Joann Szymanski, Louis Turner, Mary Turner, Kathy Weimar and Jean Williams.
The Society is located at 40 Route 47 in Middle Township’s Dias Creek section. The Open House will take place Saturday and Sunday Nov. 12-13 from 1 to 3 p.m. each day.