About Us

Homeward Bound is the largest open admission animal shelter in New Jersey. Being open admission means that we offer a safe haven for every animal that needs us in the areas that we serve--exactly when they need us most. We serve 13 municipalities in Camden County, NJ including the City of Camden.

Our team cared for over 5,500 animals in 2024 including those who were lost, abandoned, victims of neglect and abuse, and pets surrendered by their families due to financial or housing insecurity. As families continue to struggle and break apart in our community, the intake of dogs to our shelter has increased by 26% over the last 2 years.

Although our work often seems impossible, we have achieved an industry-leading live release rate of 96%. Every day, we provide quality medical care, food, housing, and love for hundreds of animals as we strive to learn as much as we can about each dog or cat as an individual and find them each the perfect forever home.

Homeward Bound’s low cost clinic provides quality veterinary care at prices you can afford. When you choose our non-profit clinic to protect your pet, you are also helping local homeless animals in need! We specialize in keeping healthy pets healthy with low-cost spay/neuter, vaccinations, and flea/tick/heartworm prevention.

Our Misson

Ending companion animal homelessness in Camden County through community awareness and responsible ownership.

Our Vision

We are working hard with other animal welfare groups to help New Jersey join the “no kill” by 2025 initiative launched by Best Friends.

History

Founded by the Camden County Board of Chosen Commissioners in 1997, the Camden County Animal Shelter (CCAS) is operated by Homeward Bound Pet Adoption Center, a non-profit organization originally founded as Animal Welfare Society of Camden County (AWSCC). We are a registered 501 (c) (3) non-profit organization, Fed Tax ID 20-0549531.

In 2018, the new name Homeward Bound Pet Adoption Center (f/k/a CCAS/AWSCC) was implemented to better reflect our recent expansion and ongoing mission to the community.

In 2015, Camden County Board of Commissioners proudly announced the completion of a $1.5 million expansion that increased capacity and provided more living and recreational space for cats and dogs. The expansion also included a designated area where residents can interact with and adopt pets. The new adoption center has glass-walled acquaintance rooms, which encourage shorter shelter stays for adoptable animals. The final phase of the expansion was completed in 2018, which included a new state of the art veterinary surgical facilities.