Residents in the two towns of South Orange and Maplewood have no local animal shelter.  We used to have a local shelter but, for operational reasons, it has been closed since 2014.

In Essex County in 2014 approximately 2,500 dogs and cats were euthanized,  almost entirely for lack of space . This is one of the highest kill rates of adoptable pets in the entire state of New Jersey. And we are adding to the problem by keeping the doors of the shelter we once had closed to our animals.

Companion pets rely on us and we should do our part to give them a second chance when they are lost, or lose their homes, through no fault of their own.  We should do our part to make our towns an animal-friendly community, and help prevent shelter animals from becoming part of the grim statistics for Essex County euthanasia in the future.

Give us back our shelter - give our animals a chance.

If you would like to see SOMa's local animal shelter re-imagined and re-opened, please sign the petition below.

Thank you.

To see just some of the animals adopted from the old shelter that we used to have for South Orange and Maplewood, follow this link:

 https://maplewood.worldwebs.com/forums/discussion/id/120730-A-Pictorial-Celebration-of-the-Animals-Saved-by-Our-No-Kill-Shelter?page=1