The Voorhees Animal Orphanage (“VAO”) is a 501-c-3, non-profit Municipal Animal Shelter dedicated to providing shelter, food and medical care to stray and unwanted animals until permanent homes can be found. We are an open-intake animal shelter serving 25 municipalities in Southern New Jersey, 21 of which are in Camden County. Although the Voorhees Animal Orphanage serves more than half of Camden County, NJ, we do not receive any operational or financial support from the County. The only income we receive are the monthly fees we receive from the municipalities that we serve, and adoption fees. Otherwise, we rely very heavily upon the generosity of charitable donations to help us meet our budget.
We are also an Adoption Center. That means when space allows, we are able to rescue cats & dogs from over-crowded, high-kill shelters and rescues. We work with local, regional and national shelters and rescue groups, saving lives wherever and whenever we can.
In 2023 we were able to save the lives of over 2,100 cats and dogs who made their way to our shelter. We have saved over 40,000 lives since our inception in 1988.
We do not discriminate against any breed, nor do we turn an animal away due to medical conditions or age. Each and every animal in our shelter receives individual consideration and attention, regardless of the number of animals we may have in our care. We believe that every animal has the right home and family waiting for them. Our goal is to operate to meet or exceed a 90% live release rate (a.k.a., “No-kill”). In 2023 our live release rate was 94.3%!
We strive to be an exemplary shelter and adoption center through collaborative partnerships, responsible business practices, and exceptional customer service. It is our firm belief that working together, we can save more lives!