The Gloucester-Mathews Humane Society is returning use of the former Gloucester Animal Control building on Beehive Drive to the county, according to humane society executive director Ellen Thacker.

For more than four years, Gloucester County Animal Control has allowed the humane society to use the former animal control building to hold temporarily unclaimed adoptable dogs coming from Gloucester County Animal Control.

A group of volunteers of the humane society, known as ACORN (Animal Control Outreach Resource Network), together with Gloucester County Animal Control, devoted many hours to saving the lives of countless unclaimed adoptable dogs by holding them in the former animal control building until they could be transferred to new homes, Thacker said.

She said that both the humane society and animal control have had to face the reality that the condition of the building is no longer adequate for housing these animals.

GMHS will end the use of the former Gloucester County Animal Control building in the coming year. Unclaimed adoptable dogs will be kept at the humane society shelter, transported to other area shelters and/or rescue groups or placed in short- or long-term foster homes. The humane society is currently working to house, transport, foster and find homes for the adoptable animals currently residing at the former Gloucester Animal Control building.

"This decision has been made in the best interest of the animals of Gloucester County and will complete the transition of animals into the new Gloucester-Mathews Humane Society facility," Thacker said.

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