Spotlight on Cape Ann Animal Aid

Nestled in the heart of Gloucester, Cape Ann Animal Aid has been actively caring for their sheltered cats and dogs for years. For sixty years, staff workers and volunteers have developed a safe space for their animals to temporarily live comfortably, and be properly taken care of. As a no kill shelter, animals will stay at the shelter until they get adopted. 

The Cape Ann Animal Aid provides the feeling of home in their shelter, for pets who have yet to find owners. Cape Ann Animal Aid also chooses reliable foster families to shelter some dogs for the holidays, to give them a temporary home. 

Adopting from the shelter is beneficial for the cats and dogs because it is not always easy to find a home in many parts of the country. 

“A lot of them come from Georgia, South Carolina, places like that,” Cape Ann Animal Aid adoption counselor, Rachel Woodson said. 

According to Woodson, who has worked with Cape Ann Animal Aid since last January, the shelter takes “a lot of transport from the South because there is a lot of overpopulation.” 

“We are giving animals a home that otherwise would have been euthanized if it were in the South,” Woodson said. “It’s always fun giving a guy a home that wouldn’t have one otherwise”. 

One program that the shelter has been doing to help with the issue of overpopulation is called Spay Mama. 

“We take in pregnant cats and spay them for people,” Woodson said. “And we can hold on to their cat as long as they are ready to give birth and then they give us the kittens and we adopt out the kittens.”

Cape Ann Animal Aid has also been up to date with programs that the public can get involved in. People can volunteer to come in and make dog toys as well as socialize with some dogs. Recently, a new play room has been developed for the dogs to go in during bad weather.

 The shelter openly accepts any donation whether it is money or supplies for the animals.  “Blankets, towels, food, toys, and anything like that we always put to good use here,” Woodson said. 

Right now the shelter offers volunteering opportunities for those who qualify. Volunteers go through a training period before officially becoming a part of the shelter.  

If interested in adopting an animal, check out the shelter’s website. Volunteer information is also available on the website, as well as meet and greet times.