My name is Mermaid Ma'am!

Adoption Fees

-$60 for Dogs and Puppies
-$55 for Cats and Kittens

ALL ADOPTIONS ARE SAME DAY, FIRST COME, FIRST SERVE. WE ARE UNABLE TO PLACE A HOLD ON ANY ANIMAL.

The Requirements for Adoption are as follows:
-Everyone in the household must come in to meet the animal you are looking to adopt.
-If you are looking to adopt a dog, and currently have any dogs at home, your dogs must come in to do a meet and greet, to ensure that they get along.
-You must be able to show that you can have a pet where you live.
-If you own your home, please bring a mortgage statement or tax bill as proof of home ownership. (A utility bill does not count).
-If you rent, we need to see your lease with a pet policy clearly stated.
-Adoption fees must be paid in EXACT CASH, or a PERSONAL CHECK, the address on the check must match the drivers license. We are unable to take debit or credit, and we are unable to make change.

Facility Hours...
Seven Days a Week (Closed Holidays)

1:00 PM to 4:00 PM - Wednesday evening until 6:30 PM

Northern Ocean County Animal Facility
615 Fremont Ave. (off of Route 547)
Jackson, NJ 08527
Phone: (732) 657-8086

PetSmart has graciously provided our volunteers with a room to house cats that we have up for adoption. While the cats can be viewed any time the store is open and applications may be left at anytime, most adoptions are done on Saturdays and Sundays. However, appointments can be arranged during the week. Our store is located in the Toys R Us plaza on Hooper Ave in Toms River NJ. Adoption hours are 10 - 2 on Saturday & 11 - 3 on Sunday. Any questions about the cats at PetSmart should be directed to our Volunteer Auxiliary group. Email them at volaux@yahoo.com.

Features of our shelters include indoor/outdoor runs, outside pens for dogs to get exercise, a meet and greet room for potential adopters to spend some time with our animals, and a spacious cat room. Our shelters also have surgical suites and isolation rooms for the medical care of our animals.

The Ocean County Animal Facilities harbor stray dogs and cats for a minimum of seven days, as per State Regulation, in the hope that their owners can be located. After seven days the animals are legally able to be put up for adoption.


The Ocean County Animal Facilities are staffed by both full time and part time dedicated and caring employees.

In addition to our great staff, we have a group of dedicated volunteers. The Volunteer Auxiliary For Animal Shelters, Inc. is a non-profit organization committed to helping shelter animals in the Northern Ocean County Animal Facility. They help by walking and exercising our dogs, socializing our cats, and assisting with adoptions. The Volunteer Auxiliary runs the off site cat adoption center in PetSmart, as well as a mobile adoption bus that they take to various locations on weekends. If you would like information on how to volunteer you can email the Volunteer Auxiliary at volaux@yahoo.com.

The Animal Facility is always in need of donations. Some of the items that we frequently need and use are:
-Canned dog and cat food
-Bags of dry dog and cat food (for our pet food pantry)
-Blankets, towels, sheets, dog and cat beds
-Dog toys (Nylabone, and Kong in particular)
-Cat toys
-Leashes, collars, harnesses
-Dog and cat treats
-Monetary donations are always appreciated, as well

Our Shelter is always in need of Kuranda beds for both dogs and cats. You can browse our wish list, and make donations here: