The Jersey Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (JSPCA) was founded in 1868 with the aims of preventing cruelty, promoting knowledge, and providing for aged, sick, lost and unwanted animals in Jersey.
Our St Saviour’s headquarters were founded in 1913 by Frances Elizabeth Wilson. In 1924, Frances and her sister Charlotte bought 95 St Saviour’s Road, and four years later gave the property to the Animals’ Shelter. In the contract it stated that the property was to be used exclusively to maintain and develop started by Frances and Charlotte, to be used as a temporary shelter for all domestic animals that may have been injured, sick, lost or abandoned, and to also provide veterinary treatment when necessary.
Our headquarters at 89 St Saviour’s Road was purchased in 1931. Known as Coie Manor Farm and dating back to the 18th century, this property provided the Animals’ Shelter with much more space and land.
In 1936 The Jersey Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (JSPCA) and the Animals’ Shelter amalgamated.
The Hospital opened in 1938 – the building no longer exists
The clinic area was a converted hen house, a room used until the new development in 1951 when this building was demolished. In place was a new clinic complete with an operating room, X-ray dept, consulting area, office and a large waiting area with kennels. The Animals’ Shelter provided the only X-ray facilities for the three veterinary practices for the next 10 years. The clinic was run on a monthly basis by the three surgeries (David Place, Jar & Harry Jerrom, T. le Q. and N. le Q. Blampied). It provided veterinary treatment for the family with little or no income. If the client was unable to pay, the vet surgeon would treat the pet free of charge or at a reduced rate. As more veterinary surgeries became available, the clinic numbers declined and finances at the Animals’ Shelter improved, it was decided to close the clinics and to pay the Vet surgeons a fee for attending to the animals at their own surgeries for people on a low income.
Services became more demanding at the shelter to provide boarding kennels, emergency boarding, accommodating strays, increases with companion animals being kept also meant more animals for rehoming.
