Adoption Center | Animal Outreach of Cape May County

Adopt Your Best Friend

Our Adoption Center opened in November 2012 and has been instrumental in over 1000 animals finding their forever homes. We continue to work closely with our County Shelter to alleviate overcrowding.

We support spay/neuter initiatives, and it is mandatory that all pets adopted through our organization be spayed and neutered. Animal Outreach of Cape May County operates a clinic for cats to promote sterilization of feral colonies in order to keep their numbers in check and provides low-cost surgical opportunities for the community.

The use of various media outlets to promote adoptable pets is key to making adoptions happen. The concepts of No-Kill and TNR are less well known, and we are committed to spreading the word about these humane programs that make a better world for all of us.

Animal Outreach of Cape May County Adoption Center is located at 600 Park Blvd., West Cape May, NJ.
Please visit us by appointment by calling 609-898-1738 or during our open hours:
Tuesdays 11-2
Wednesday 11-2
Friday 11-2
Saturday 11-2

"The week after Thanksgiving we were given a special treat. A seventy lb. Akita hound Lobo entered our lives. In June he came to Animal Outreach and although everyone loved him he was just too big - but not for us. Every day we take Lobo to the Bay beach which he loves and when he isn't there he runs, and I mean runs, around our back yard. He spends his time with us all day in the house and he listens to everything I tell him to do. Someone really trained this dog and he is so happy to do anything for you. Lobo has added so much to our lives and any rescued dog big or small would add so much to your life as well."

~ TJ Kuchon

Pets for Adoption

We always have pets for adoption, but keeping the list current online is a daunting task! Please visit Petfinder via the link through their logo below for our most recent listing, or better yet, visit us at our Adoption Center in West Cape May at 600 Park Blvd. Unit #3 Wednesdays 2-4pm, Saturdays 12-3pm, Sundays 1-3pm, or by appointment.

View current pets available for adoption on

Adoption Process

Adopting a pet is a serious commitment. We strongly encourage anyone thinking about adding a four legged member to the family to do plenty of research and be prepared for this commitment, which can last for many happy years.

Animal Outreach will work directly with you, providing individualized attention and support in order to help you find the perfect pet for your family. Rescue pets sometimes suffer from anxiety and it is good to be prepared for a transition period with your new pet.

We provide as much information on each animal's history, disposition and health as we can gather. We strongly believe that honesty is the best policy.

Questionnaire, Interview, and Home Visit

You will first be required to complete our adoption forms, which can be found below. Once received, an Animal Outreach volunteer will contact you via phone or email. If it seems you are a good fit for each other based on the info you provided, a phone interview will follow. If you are renting, we require proof that you are allowed to have a pet as well as any breed or size restrictions that may exist. If you have pets or did previously, we require your vet information and we will call them to verify that your pets are in good health, current on vaccines, and spayed/neutered. We require that all pets in the home be spayed/neutered unless there are health reasons that can be verified with the vet. The final step is a home visit, where an AO volunteer comes to your home to verify your home is a safe place for an animal. It is also a time where the volunteer can answer questions and discuss safety precautions.

Pet Adoption Agreement

In our Adoption Agreement, we require that every animal be spayed/neutered prior to adoption. This is critical as the overpopulation of dogs and cats in our country is a sad result of too many unplanned litters! If for any reason the match is not as perfect as we all had hoped, the dog or cat must be returned to Animal Outreach, not given away or turned in to a shelter. Our contract is legally binding and we take it very seriously.

Animal Outreach requires adopters to be at least 21 years of age. We will require proof of age to finalize any adoption.

Pet Adoption Fee

Animal Outreach’s adoption fees depend on type of animal, the originating shelter and the veterinary care the animal has received. Our adoption fees are set to allow us to defray our expenses as well as to help other animals in our program that require additional care. Our fees cover veterinary costs, fuel for transport, copying and printing of contracts and paperwork, our website presence, food, boarding, behavioral training, and additional medical care. It is important to note that while the animal you adopt may not require all of these things, many other animals in our system do. Thus, any "extra" money from adoption fees goes to help those animals who may require additional care. By adopting from Animal Outreach, you are not saving just one life, you are helping to save others as well.

"John and I adopted our new poodle from Animal Outreach this summer. Kipper has quickly adapted to our lifestyle which includes an additional dog and a cat.She brings a new level of joy and energy to our family. The adoption process was easy. The dog was healthy and ready for a stable home. We heartily recommend Animal Outreach for your next pet adoption."