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Our Story

Mission Statement

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Our mission is to provide shelter, care and love for the unwanted, abused, and/or abandoned animals of Cape May County. Animal Outreach strongly endorses spay and neutering programs and is committed to helping educate our community in responsible pet ownership. We are a “no kill” organization. Our adoption program has helped to greatly reduce the numbers of homeless animals in our county. We encourage cooperation between municipal and private shelters to coordinate efforts to eliminate the tragedy of animal homelessness.

Who We Are

Animal Outreach is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization dedicated to helping the abused, abandoned, and neglected animals of Cape May County. Animal Outreach (AO) began as a fostering network in 1998, and we still use our foster homes to rehabilitate and care for animals in need.


There is a tremendous need for our services, and we hope to continue our mission well into the future.  We are a small operation with a big heart and bigger plans.  And the community is behind us in reaching our goals.  We hope you can help us with our commitment to the animals.  Please contact us and let us know how you can help!

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PROUD MEMBER

Animal Outreach Through the Years

A modest start for a no-kill shelter.

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"The Humans"

Shelley VanDyke

President

A native of Michigan, Shelley moved to the Cape May area in 2000 after working in the corporate world for many years. She has been involved with Animal Outreach since 2006. Shelley is a full-time Realtor and has 3 rescue cats and one dog who definitely rule the roost!

Nadya Gallagher

Recording Secretary

Nadya is recently retired from the pharmaceutical industry after 25 years. She resides in Cape May with her husband John and several rescue cats. She has been actively been involved with Animal Outreach since 2010.

Harry C. Bellangy

Board Chair

Harry is a retired computer system architect and has been involved with Animal Outreach since the 90s. Harry lives in Cape May and is active in historic preservation. He has a number of well loved rescued cats.

Jane Ann Hart

Board Member

Jane Ann is Principal of JAH Meeting Planners, a meeting procurement, planning and management firm. Prior to founding JAH Meeting Planners, she worked for several Fortune 500 companies in sales, sales training, and meeting planning positions. Jane Ann is currently an adjunct at Atlantic Cape Community College. As a full time resident of Brigantine, she serves as Commissioner & Treasurer on the Brigantine Beach Cultural Arts Commission and is a member of Hand Up Brigantine, a long term Hurricane Sandy Recovery Volunteer Group. In addition to creating art and selling it at specialty shops and art shows, she is owned by two rescue cats, Jack & Jules.

Terri Werner

Vice Chair/Clinic Manager

Retired after 20+ years as a partner in the wellness center she co-founded, Terri began volunteering at Animal Outreach in 2012. She is a member of the City of Cape May Zoning Board and enjoys creating jewelry which can be found in her Etsy shop. She resides in Cape May with her husband and several rescue cats.

Diane Bergmaier

Board Member

Diane was born, raised, and worked in Chester County Pennsylvania for most of her adult life. She retired from corporate America in 2022 after moving to Cape May in 2020 to care for her elderly father.  Diane has three awesome cats adopted from Animal Outreach, and a very handsome German Shepherd/Border Collie named Remy.  

Cindy Huf

Treasurer

Cindy is a wholesale and retail business owner who has lived and worked in Cape May for almost fifty years. She enjoys travel, reading, and the outdoors, and shares her Cold Spring home with husband Bill and a friendly group of feline and canine family members.

Jackie Huster

Adoption Center Manager

Jackie is a retired educator with 38 years of experience. She spent 33 years as a teacher and librarian and later an assistant principal in a K-8 school. She is a native of Cape May County and grew up in Wildwood. Jackie love to read, travel, and write poetry and fiction. She loves animals and has four cats and one dog who are all rescues.

Thank you to our community supporters!

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“Never be embarrassed by how much you care about animals and how they're treated.”

Stephanie Feldstein

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