AWA to expand facility
Sixty-five years in the making, the Animal Welfare Association in Voorhees is celebrating a significant milestone by expanding its facility.
According to Maya Richmond, executive director at the AWA, four women began a quest to help save abandoned and stray animals in 1948.
As their momentum, funding and programs grew, they became a nonprofit in 1955, raised enough money to build a shelter in 1962 and opened the first regional spay/neuter clinic in 1973.
“I am very proud of this organization,” Richmond said.
With the growing population of animals, the 5,000-square foot facility and the 1,000-square foot clinic have grown outdated and crowded, she said.
The clinic’s expansion, the first phase of a two-part project, increases the clinic by 3,300 square feet.
Richmond said AWA needed to bring the current facility up to today’s standards, which includes improved electrical, sewage and water lines, parking lot, handicap accessibility and more. Clinical services will also be expanded.
The AWA currently offers low-cost spay/neuter clinics as well as discounted routine examinations, vaccine clinics and other programs.
“The new clinic will allow us to expand our wellness services,” Richmond said, adding the organization offers walk-in vaccine clinics on Mondays and every other Saturday.
The goal of the clinic is to help pet owners keep their companions healthy at an affordable cost.
With the expansion, Richmond said she hopes to see the facility used more, decreasing the number of owners who surrender pets due to the cost of care.
“We are expanding some of the basic examinations,” Richmond said.
This past year, approximately 16,000 pets were brought to the clinic, which is a 4,000 increase from last year.
Richmond said that number could increase to approximately 20,000 after the new clinic opens.
But what the adoption facility is lacking after the expansion, Richmond said the second phase of the project would make up.
“We can only do so many adoptions because of space,” she said, adding the second phase would upgrade and expand the current adoption facility.
According to Richmond, there are 25 main dog runs and room for fewer than 100 cats.
The shelter has between 30 to 45 dogs and 275 cats and kittens in its care, filling up the shelter and taking advantage of the available foster families.
“Imagine if we kept those foster families and doubled our space,” she said.
The first phase of the project costs $1.4 million. Richmond said the second phase would cost $3 million. AWA’s yearly operation budget is $2 million.
To fund projects such as the expansion, the shelter needs to raise enough money to operate on a yearly basis before funds can be set aside for capital projects without hurting the budget.
“Every year we have to raise that money to support our charity,” Richmond said.
According to an announcement from Camden County, the South Jersey Charitable Foundation recently donated $100,000 to the AWA, which would be used toward the new facility.
“When you visit AWA, it is obvious they have outgrown their facilities,” South Jersey Charitable Foundation trustee Richard Mohrfeld said in the announcement.
“We believe in their vision, and this year when we met and discussed AWA, all the trustees stated how pleased they have been with the work done there.”
Richmond said community involvement in the fundraising efforts has been key to the AWA’s yearly operation as well as the expansion.
With the current condition of the economy, Richmond said it’s important to continue services such as the wellness clinic, educational workshops and more.
The future goal for AWA is to help more pets and owners at the new clinic and turn the small, confined adoption area into a relaxing dwelling for people and animals.
“[AWA] is committed to saving lives,” Richmond said.
The new clinic is slated to open in December, while the second phase of the project might begin in the next few years.
For more information about the AWA, visit www.awanj.org or call 424–2288. AWA is located at 509 Centennial Blvd.
