Father John's Animal House

Father John's Animal House A 501(c)(3) no-kill cat and dog shelter located in Sussex County, NJ. Since 1999. It was decided to tear down the entire shelter and rebuild it.
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Father John’s Animal House was founded in 1999, by a small and very dedicated group of people that recognized a great need in our community to help homeless and otherwise unwanted pets. The land and facility was acquired through a few large donations and the shelter was immediately able to start placing animals into loving adoptive homes. The land was originally owned by Father John, a retired mem

ber of the clergy, who took exceedingly good care of his livestock. The shelter was named after him to honor his dedication to the welfare of animals. As the years went by, the maintenance of the facility was becoming more and more difficult. A large fund drive and challenge grant funded the project, and the shelter was rebuilt in 2012. State of the art features have been incorporated, including floors that are impervious to liquid soaking in, ventilation systems to reduce airborne pathogens and illness, and sound absorbing panels, which reduce barking dog noise. Room layout was designed for the comfort and care of the animals, including free-roaming cat rooms and indoor kennel runs for the dogs. The shelter now has the capacity to safely and responsibly place over 500 animals each year. Each animal is fully vetted, spayed or neutered, vaccinated and microchipped prior to leaving for their adoptive home. Our shelter personnel work hard to match each adoptive family with the perfect animal to become their lifelong pet. Our overall mission is not only to place animals into loving homes but to promote spay and neuter to alleviate the problem of homeless animals and overcrowded shelters. We value the bond people have with animals and strive to give each homeless animal a family that will love and care for it for a lifetime.

Meet Dash! 🐾❤️🤩 This handsome guy came to us from an overcrowded shelter in Virginia and is ready to find a family of hi...
06/05/2026

Meet Dash! 🐾❤️🤩 This handsome guy came to us from an overcrowded shelter in Virginia and is ready to find a family of his own! At about 8 months old and just under 40 pounds, Dash is the perfect mix of playful, social, and adventurous!

Dash loves meeting new people, making dog friends, and exploring the world around him. Like any young pup, he’ll benefit from some basic training and guidance as he continues to grow into the amazing dog we know he can be! 🎾🫶🏻

Think Dash could be your perfect match? Fill out an adoption questionnaire at www.fatherjohns.org/adopt.

❤️ Can’t adopt? Please share to help Dash find his forever home!

06/04/2026
Yesterday was so special! ❤️🐾 We had one of our largest Lean on Leon distribution days yet, and our hearts are so full. ...
06/03/2026

Yesterday was so special! ❤️🐾 We had one of our largest Lean on Leon distribution days yet, and our hearts are so full. 🥹

In 2023, we created Lean on Leon to help support individuals and families who may be struggling to afford food and other basic necessities for their pets. Named after our dedicated caretaker, Leon, the program allows us to donate pet food and supplies that we are unable to use at the shelter, as well as items we may have a surplus of!

Our goal is simple: to help people keep the pets they love so those pets never have to enter a shelter like ours!

Today, Lean on Leon supports food pantries and community organizations throughout Sussex County, including The Samaritan Inn, Project Self-Sufficiency, Social Services, and more. The program has also expanded into Pike County, PA and Orange County, NY, where we now provide support on a monthly basis.
What made yesterday especially incredible was the overwhelming support from our community. Not only were we able to distribute supplies from Father John’s Animal House, but the Guinness Dunn Foundation played a huge role in helping us make an even greater impact.

This is what community looks like. People coming together to support one another, ensuring that beloved pets can stay where they belong, with the families who love them!

Thank you to everyone who helps make Lean on Leon possible. Together, we are keeping pets in homes, reducing shelter intake, and making a difference one bag of food at a time. 🫶🏻

Meet Donald!! Donald arrived from Virginia with his sister, and while she has already found her forever home, this sweet...
06/02/2026

Meet Donald!! Donald arrived from Virginia with his sister, and while she has already found her forever home, this sweet boy is still patiently waiting for his turn. ❤️🥹

At around 16 weeks old and 22 pounds, Donald is a playful young pup with a gentle soul. He can be shy when meeting new people and takes a little time to feel comfortable, but with patience, treats, and the confidence of another dog around, he begins to come out of his shell!

As a young puppy, Donald will need some basic training and guidance, but he’s ready to learn and grow alongside a family of his own! 🫶🏻

It’s always our hope that puppies like Donald find their families quickly so they can spend these important months growing, learning, and building confidence in a home of their own. We’d love to see Donald making memories with his forever family sooner rather than later.

We know the right person is out there for Donald, someone who will give him the time he needs and love him for exactly who he is! Could that be you?! 🏡🐶💕

Fill out an adoption questionnaire today 👉 www.fatherjohns.org/adopt

🐾 In case you missed it... there’s still time to sign up for our Basic Obedience Class! 🐾Join experienced Father John’s ...
06/01/2026

🐾 In case you missed it... there’s still time to sign up for our Basic Obedience Class! 🐾

Join experienced Father John’s trainer, Sarah Oehler, CPDT, for a fun and engaging 6-week course designed to help your young dog build confidence, learn essential manners, and strengthen your bond together.

📅 June 4 – July 9, 2026
🕔 Thursdays | 5:00–6:00 PM
📍 50 Father John’s Lane, Lafayette, NJ

⚠️ Spots are limited and the first class starts THIS THURSDAY!

Sign up today and give your pup the skills they need to succeed!! 🐶🎾❤️

🐾 Adoption Update! 🐾We have been so busy celebrating adoptions lately that we've fallen a little behind on sharing them ...
06/01/2026

🐾 Adoption Update! 🐾

We have been so busy celebrating adoptions lately that we've fallen a little behind on sharing them all, and honestly, that's a wonderful problem to have! ❤️

Over the last month, so many incredible dogs and cats have found their forever homes that we couldn't possibly fit every story into one post. Every adoption is worth celebrating, but here are just a few of the happy endings we've recently been fortunate enough to witness:

🐶 Worley, our longest resident, finally found her forever family after waiting far too long for someone to discover just how amazing she is.

🐶 Bambi, our big goofy girl, was adopted! Her silly personality kept us laughing every day, and we're sure she's doing the same with her new family.

🐱 Dusk, our special 13-year-old gentleman, found a loving home to spend his golden years in after overcoming so much in his life.

🐶 Penny was adopted after making a remarkable recovery from surgery. Penny came to us with a large tumor on her leg that required immediate amputation, and we couldn't be happier knowing she's getting all the love and attention she deserves.

🐱 Our sweet senior girl Snickers, also 13 years old, found a home after her world was turned upside down. We now get to enjoy updates of her thriving in her new life.

🐶 Dimitri's story was truly meant to be. After coming to us from a partner rescue in Virginia, his former foster traveled all the way to New Jersey to bring him home!

🐱 Gertrude, a staff and volunteer favorite thanks to her wonderful personality, found her forever family.

🐶 Daphne was adopted after spending far too much time waiting at the shelter. We've already received wonderful updates showing just how much she's loving her new life.

🐶 Lou Ann was another especially meaningful adoption. She came to us at 11 years old after her family could no longer care for her. Although she was going through a lot during her time at the shelter, Lou Ann remained the sweet, happy, loving girl we all adored. We are so happy that she'll be able to share all that love with her new owner and new pup sister.

🐱 Shelley found her forever home with our very own Mr. and Mrs. Claus! We have a feeling she'll be living a pretty magical life, and who knows, maybe we'll even see her at Photos with Santa this year. 🎅❤️

🐱 Pumpkin and Poncho also found homes of their own, and we couldn't be happier for these fantastic cats.

🐶 Several of the dogs from the Sussex County dumping case have also been adopted. After everything they endured, seeing them settle into loving homes has been incredibly rewarding.
And that's not all! We've had puppies, kittens, adult dogs, senior cats, and so many wonderful shelter pets head home with their new families over the past month.

Thank you to every adopter, foster, volunteer, donor, and supporter who helps make these happy endings possible. Stay tuned for another adoption update next week, and if you're looking for your next best friend, stop by and meet some of the amazing pets still waiting for their forever homes. ❤️🐾

05/29/2026

Tune in for What’s Going on at Father John’s!! 🐾😊🐱🐶

05/29/2026

We are drowning in kittens at Father John’s Animal House! 🐾💛

We could have kept this video going forever with the 80 kittens currently in foster care right now! 🤯

With tiny kittens comes lots of very hungry bellies, and we are in desperate need of kitten food! 🐱

You can find some of our favorite items on our Amazon wishlist here: https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/99FBFZ1AFOZF?ref_=abls_nvfly_yl

But truly, any kitten food donations help more than you know. Thank you for always supporting our animals and the lifesaving work we do every day!! 🥹🫶🏻

⚠️ COMMUNITY ALERT ⚠️Scammers may be impersonating Father John’s Animal House and requesting donations through fake acco...
05/28/2026

⚠️ COMMUNITY ALERT ⚠️

Scammers may be impersonating Father John’s Animal House and requesting donations through fake accounts and messages!

Please remember:
🐾 We will NEVER ask for donations through private messages.
🐾 Donate only through our official website and verified social media pages.
🐾 Please report any suspicious accounts pretending to be us.

Thank you for helping protect our community and the animals we serve. ❤️🐶🐱

Official Website:
fatherjohns.org

Address

50 Father Johns Lane
Lafayette, NJ
07848

Opening Hours

Monday 11am - 4pm
Tuesday 11am - 4pm
Thursday 11am - 4pm
Friday 11am - 4pm
Saturday 11am - 4pm
Sunday 11am - 4pm

Telephone

+19733005909

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