HOMEWARD BOUND ANNOUNCES NEW EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Blackwood, NJ — Homeward Bound Pet Adoption Center is pleased to announce the appointment of Jill Rawlins as its new Executive Director. Jill comes to Homeward Bound with a wealth of experience and an extensive background in strategic planning, financial management and team building.  She has almost 20 years of experience as an Executive Director across various industries and is excited to utilize her skills in the nonprofit sector. Jill served as Executive Director at Special Equestrians in Warrington, PA.  In her time there, she introduced new organizational plans that saw the creation of three leadership positions, successfully implemented a new community relationship development plan, and ensured a balanced budget. “I have been incredibly fortunate to find an organization that connects my specialized skillset to such a positive, deeply personal mission,” says Rawlins. “I’ve always been passionate about animals and cannot wait to continue the positive growth initiated by Vicki [Rowland].” Vicki Rowland, the current Executive Director of Homeward Bound, has been leading the way since 2013. She will be stepping down at the end of July to begin the next chapter of her life with her husband in Texas. While she knows she will miss the excitement of shelter life, she is confident that the hard work she put into transforming the shelter into a leading animal welfare organization will be appreciated and continued under the guidance of Rawlins. “I have been working closely with Jill for the last 3 weeks to help her transition, and I have consistently been impressed with her drive, aptitude for strategic planning, and finesse with staff relations. She will safeguard the Homeward Bound legacy well, and the Board and I are thrilled to welcome her to the family.” To learn more about Homeward Bound Pet Adoption Center’s mission to end pet homelessness in South Jersey, visit our website at www.HomewardBoundNJ.org. 

Our Spring 2020 Newsletter with alumni pupdates, a look back on our 2019 successes, and a look towards what the rest of 2020 will hold!

3.16.2020: [Blackwood, NJ] — The health and safety of our pets and community is paramount. There are many questions being directed towards our shelter, and it is important to address these valid concerns. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), there is no evidence that companion animals have been infected or could spread the current virus, COVID-19. As such, we are asking that the public NOT surrender healthy pets to us at this time. Right now, we are identifying similar scenarios as are many other organizations: decreased staff due to possible quarantine, possible shelter closure, a drop in adoptions, and increased animal intake. So far, the impact has been to cancel income-generating events, and we are clearly suffering from a loss of foot traffic due to the government’s request to self-quarantine. Homeward Bound is an essential business providing care for animals in South Jersey. We are still coming in and tending to these pets every day, and we are still providing emergency medical treatment to those pets who are brought to us by Animal Control. We are asking the public’s assistance in allowing us a short-term reprieve on intake so we can most effectively utilize our staff and volunteers until this current challenge is behind us. To those ends, Homeward Bound is preparing to ensure that no shelter pets are lost due to increasing fear around COVID-19. Using guidance from both the Humane Society (HSUS) and American Pets Alive!, these resources will ensure that we are prepared for local quarantine should it be asked of us. “Our animals still need your help during this time”, says Vicki Rowland, Executive Director of Homeward Bound. “If you are working from home or as a student studying online, consider adoption or fostering a pet with Homeward Bound today. Social distancing and self-quarantine create a genuine opportunity to bond with your new pets.” Homeward Bound is requesting emergency foster homes that can keep pets for between 4 and 6 weeks. By increasing our foster base, we will be able to weather any unforeseen situation with as little impact as possible to the animals in our care. If you are interested in being part of our Foster Response Team, please e-mail Foster@HomewardBoundNJ.org or head to www.homewardboundnj.com/foster for more information. The public can also help by volunteering. Caring for animals does not stop, not even during a quarantine. Walking dogs, cleaning kennels, tackling laundry, feeding meals and preparing enrichment still must happen. To find out how you can help, e-mail us at Volunteer@HomewardBoundNJ.org. In the meantime, please make sure that your own pets have updated tag information, microchip information, and medical records. Ensure that your pets have ample supplies of food, litter, and, if needed, medication for between 4-6 weeks. Together, we will weather this storm with all our furry friends who are waiting for their forever families. Thank you, as always, for your continued support of Homeward Bound. FAQs Q: Why can’t I surrender my (healthy) pet? A: Right now, adoptions are down because people are avoiding being in public. Around 20% of our intake comes from owner surrenders. Those two things combined would mean a whole lot of pets coming in, but not going out into loving homes. We are trying our best to avoid overcrowding. We want to maintain space for the pets that need us. Q: Are you stopping operations? Are you closing? A: No. The change will mostly impact the owner surrender appointments. About 20% of the pets who enter HBPAC are given up by their owners. We are asking owners who are not facing an immediate crisis to hold their pets for up to four weeks, and to surrender at a later date. For any pet owners who need to surrender immediately, we will still take their pets at their scheduled intake time. Q: How can I help? A: First of all, THANK YOU! We genuinely appreciate the consistent love and care you show to our pets here at Homeward Bound. We could not continue in our lifesaving mission without your generosity. Foster: The shelter is also looking for around 200 “on call” emergency fosters, who can take home a pet if HBPAC reaches critical capacity. HBPAC will need fosters for all types of pets but housing for medium and large dogs and pets with medical issues will be most needed. HBPAC provides vet care, crates, supplies, and food. People can sign up to be an on-call emergency foster caregiver by e-mailing Foster@HomewardBoundNJ.org. Donate: We can always use dye-free, dry dog and cat food. With kitten season upon us, KMR (kitten milk replacement), bottles and nipples, and heating pads are also welcome. We would ask that linens and bedding not be brought in at this time. A full list of needed items can be found on our Amazon Wishlist, found here. Monetary donations can be made online at www.homewardboundNJ.org/donate.

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Paw Prints Spring 2019 – Letter from the Executive Director, The Power of the Microchip, and more.

Dozens Of Vendors, Rescues, And More Set To Participate In A Day Of Family Fun.

Got mice or other vermin?  Adopt a cat!  Contact our Lifesaving Coordinator for more information!

A generous donor by the name of Margaret L. McLoughney has helped improve the Lifesaving Programs at Camden County Animal Shelter.  Margaret has had a love and passion for animals her entire life and was always looking for ways to help any animal in need.  Unfortunately, Margaret passed away in October of 2017 after a long and courageous battle with metastatic ovarian cancer.  However, thanks to Margaret’s large contribution and the creation of the Margaret L. McLoughney Memorial Fund, her legacy will live on. On Saturday, August 11th, from 11 am to 3 pm, Camden County Animal Shelter hosted an Open House in Margaret’s memory to showcase the lifesaving programs that Margaret helped fund, including the Foster Care, Adoption, Community Cat, and Outreach Programs.  During the open house, adoption fees will be waived for all cats and kittens to celebrate Margaret’s love for her felines.  Her contribution will also allow Camden County Animal Shelter to waive adoption fees during any of the high intake months in order to encourage pet adoptions. Margaret always loved seeing pets go home to their forever families, which is why she wanted to help fund programs that focus on getting animals out of the shelter and into loving homes.  In addition to allowing Camden County Animal Shelter to waive adoption fees, Margaret also helped implement special foster care programs for animals like our neonate kittens.  This allows the shelter to provide these animals with a temporary home prior to their adoption.  For animals who are not qualified for adoption or fostering due to an extreme medical condition, Margaret helped fund our “Fospice” Program, or Foster Hospice, that matches a terminally ill animal with a foster parent who is willing to provide housing for the animal in its final days. However, Margaret realized that she would not be able to save every animal from shelter life but saw that there was a way to improve these pets’ stay at the shelter by creating the Children Pet Reading Program where children in the community are invited to come to the shelter and read a book to any of the animals.  Not only does this help the children improve their reading skills, but it also allows the animals to spend more time with someone.  Not stopping there, Margaret wanted to get the elderly involved by supporting the Cat Cuddlers Program where the shelter reaches out to retirement homes in the area to encourage foster care, socialization, and enrichment for our animals. Margaret’s love for animals even extends to the community, especially feral cats.  Camden County Animal Shelter offers a Trap, Neuter, and Return Program for all feral cats to help reduce their rapidly growing population.  Taking this program one step farther, Camden County Animal Shelter introduced the Barn Cat Program, funded by Margaret L. McLoughney, which redirects community cats from the shelter to new families that are seeking a barn cat to help reduce rodent infestation. Because of donors like Margaret, Camden County Animal Shelter is able to continue its mission to end companion animal homelessness in Camden County through community awareness and responsible ownership. Camden County Animal Shelter invites the community to come on-site on Saturday, August 11th to help celebrate Margaret’s life and the life changing contribution she made for the animals in Camden County.

Camden County Animal Shelter, celebrating its 20th anniversary, launched the Pure Hearts Awards from February 14th through April 20th. The Pure Hearts Awards was an online award process where individuals had an opportunity to nominate an individual, business or pet to receive recognition as a Pure Hearts Awardee. Nominations were open to public individuals to recognize members of the community that have made extreme efforts, improvements and achievements in animal welfare and animal advocacy. Five categories were determined; Public Servant, Young Hero, Noteworthy Volunteer, Humane Business and Lifetime Pet Achievement. There were numerous nominations made from members of the community, which included an essay and an optional photograph. The ‘Top 20’ Awardees were chosen based on review from the Judges Committee. To view all the nominees and read the remarkable stories and successes toward the improvement of the humane treatment of animals in the community, please visit www.homewardboundnj.org. “Our hearts in the animal welfare community go to members of society that deserve to be recognized for their dedication to furthering the mission of Camden County Animal Shelter”, said Vicki Rowland, Executive Director of Camden County Animal Shelter. “Together, we celebrate the compassionate nature of people and pets”. Public Servant Awardees: Patrolman Matthew Woolleen of the Runnemede Police Department, Assemblywoman Pamela R. Lampitt, Congressman Donald Norcross, Camden County Detective Nipsey Rivera, and Chief Scott Cairns of the Oaklyn Fire Department. Young Hero Awardees: Aiden Page and Briella Page of Pine Hill and Jenna Lannon of Runnemede. Noteworthy Volunteer Awardees: Debbie Wright, advocate and CCAS volunteer, Karina Sharma, volunteer for Dog Town Rescue, Kim Mangione of New Life Animal Rescue, and James Whiteside, CCAS volunteer. Humane Business Awardees: Champs Dog House, St. Francis’ Feral Cat Sanctuary, Fureverhomes Doberman Rescue, Inc., and Mount Laurel Animal Hospital. Lifetime Pet Achievement Awardees: James, Bobby, Sweet Pea and Queenie. Camden County Animal Shelter will host a ceremony on May 18th, 2018 to celebrate the ‘Top 20’ Awardees and present them with a Pure Hearts Awards certificate. Please visit to view the full list of nominations.

Homeward Bound Pet Adoption Center Introduces New Rent-A-Dog program Homeward Bound Pet Adoption Center launched the program on April 25th and within hours we had three shelter dogs rented for a couple of hours. Cassandra was taken out for a long walk yesterday. Cassandra has been with the shelter since January 2018 that is 4 months today. She is a 4 year, mixed breed who is a laid back girl and has perfect leash manners. This programs was developed to enrich the daily lives of our shelter pets as well as provide a way the community who would love to own a dog but for one reason or another cannot.  This new program allows for approved patrons to take a Homeward Bound Pet Adoption Center “Rent-A-Dog” out for one to three hours during the day; whether it is for a hike, a walk in the park, or just to cuddle. You can now enjoy the company of a shelter dog during your lunch break. This program allows for the shelter pet and renter to destress together. We strive daily to keep our dogs as comfortable as possible but the ultimate goal is to get the dog outside. The time out of the shelter is vital for both the mental and physical health of the dogs in our care. By renting a dog you will help that dog find a home and greatly improve his or her quality of life during their stay with Homeward Bound Pet Adoption Center. The Rent-A-Dog program helps with our long timer dogs who have not found a home. Cassandra was able to enjoy a few hours away because of the special program. At the end of day, Cassandra was returned back to the shelter where she waits for her forever home. You must be 18 years old with valid driver’s license to qualify for program, complete a dog questionnaire and sign foster care agreement, as well as go through a dog handling session with trained staff and volunteers. You do not need to be an active volunteer; however, we encourage everyone to join!

April 18, 2018 Camden County Animal Shelter Hosts Meet’n’Greet with Lee Asher On April 18th, 2018 Lee Asher and The Asher House will be visiting Camden County Animal Shelter. Lee Asher is an animal enthusiast that is on a journey of a lifetime! Asher had an inspirational idea to use the power of social media to spread awareness about the benefits of adopting a shelter pet. In a leap of faith he decided to sell most of his belongings to purchase an RV, which he intends to travel to each of states in the United States along with his 6 rescue dogs, with a goal to have one adoption at each shelter he visits. Lee Asher and his team were motivated to visit Camden County Animal Shelter after news that the shelter reached a 91% animal save rate in 2017. In 2017 Camden County Animal Shelter became the leading animal welfare agency in the region with the largest intake and highest save rate in the region. The event will be held at Camden County Animal Shelter from 1:00 pm to 3:00 pm. Camden County Animal Shelter welcomes potential adopters, fosters and rescues to come and meet Asher to learn about the impact he has had on the nation and help make a difference by adopting as many pets as possible. “The goal is to have this outreach event where we can all celebrate together and celebrate the direction that animal welfare and the humane treatment of animals is progressing rapidly,” said Vicki Rowland, Executive Director of Camden County Animal Shelter. Lee educates the public on how shelters are too full and dogs are euthanized every day and how it needs to stop. The Asher House is an organization taking action to do just that. It started with a successful Kickstarter campaign. Lee and his team have a philosophy to show people the amazing breeds that are inside shelters as well as the loving bonds that you can share with your rescue pet through fun and engaging content. “Every breed can be found in the shelters, every breed can be rescued.” says Lee Asher, founder of The Asher House, “Another vital part of our mission is to introduce people to shelters through events and social gatherings at the shelter and educate them on the importance of local humane societies as well as try to abolish that preliminary fear that person may have had. To learn more about Lee Asher and The Asher House visit or use @theasherhouse on social media.     For more information on similar programs and partnerships with Camden County Animal Shelter email Melissa Meccariello at outreach@homewardboundnj.org, call 856-401-1300, extension 117, or visit us at 125 County House Road, Blackwood, NJ 08012.

Norcross Calls for National Animal Rescue Day Resolution Aims to Save Over 1 Million Strays Killed Every Year At the Camden County Animal Shelter, Congressman Donald Norcross (NJ-01) today announced a new action in Congress to designate National Animal Rescue Day on the first Saturday of October every year. More than a million stray cats and dogs are euthanized annually by overburdened shelters across the United States, and Animal Rescue Day will spur a mass campaign about shelters and why families should consider adopting these animals in need of permanent, stable homes. “My family has included many loving animals over the years, and pets have enriched our lives in countless ways. But many animals never get to be with a family that loves them – and many overwhelmed shelters don’t have the resources to care for them. We can help these shelters and connect loving families to abandoned and stray animals by raising awareness on a new National Animal Rescue Day,” said Congressman Norcross. “Over six million cats and dogs are placed in shelters every year; let’s look into our hearts and encourage successful rescues.” Specifically, Norcross’ National Animal Rescue Day resolution will encourage the support of animal shelters with donations of funding and essential supplies; promote animal adoption by telling the stories about mistreated animals and successful rescues; reduce the need and use of euthanasia; and help reduce the number of abandoned and stray animals. Click here to view or download photos from the event at the Camden County Animal Shelter, which is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year. “We are not only honored to host Congressman Norcross, we also know that this is the most appropriate location for this announcement due to the fact that the Camden County Animal Shelter is the only open admission animal shelter in the region to achieve a 91 percent animal save rate in in 2017,” said Freeholder Jonathan Young, liaison to the Camden County Animal Shelter. “National Animal Rescue Day will help us bring more attention to the animals in shelters waiting for their forever homes.” “All of us in the animal welfare community thank Congressman Norcross for his continued support, and for helping to raise awareness of saving animals through adoption,” said Vicki Rowland, Executive Director of the Camden County Animal Shelter. “Our vision at the Camden County Animal Shelter is to save even more lives in the coming years, and a dedicated National Animal Rescue Day will help us in our goal.” “I appreciate that the Congressman is introducing this Resolution after I brought it to his office’s attention,” said Gail Kasper. “While it’s up to each person to make a choice to go to a shelter or a rescue first, I firmly believe that every animal deserves a home.” norcross.house.gov – twitter – YouTube – Facebook – Instagram

Camden County Animal Shelter Launches Pure Hearts Awards Camden County Animal Shelter, celebrating its 20th anniversary, has launched the Pure Hearts Awards on Wednesday, February 14th. The Pure Hearts Awards will be online award process where individuals may nominate an individual, a business or a pet to receive recognition as a Pure Hearts Awardee. The awards are open to public individuals to nominate members of the community that have made extreme efforts, improvements and achievements in animal welfare and animal advocacy. Five categories have been selected for nominations; Public Servant Leadership, Young Hero, Noteworthy Volunteer, Humane Business and Lifetime Pet Achievement. Any individual may submit a nomination to support fellow members of the community, all submissions are free. When the nominee accepts the submission they will be listed on Camden County Animal Shelter website for public review. The top four in each category will make up the Top 20 Pure Hearts Awards recipients. Winners will be selected by Camden County Animal Shelter committee review. Online submissions will be accepted starting Friday, February 16th to end on Friday, April 20th. After committee review the winners will be announced on Friday, April 27th. In order to submit a nomination an entrant must complete the online submission process, which includes giving detailed information about the nominee, and essay describing why they should win the category they have been selected for with a minimum 250 word count but not to exceed 1,000 words and submit a photograph of the individual completed with a waiver for permission for photo submission. “Our hearts in the animal welfare community go to members of society that deserve to be recognized for their dedication to furthering the mission of Camden County Animal Shelter”, said Vicki Rowland, Executive Director of Camden County Animal Shelter. “Together, we celebrate the compassionate nature of people and pets”. The Camden County Animal Shelter has become the only open admission animal shelter in the region to achieve a 91 percent animal save rate in 2017. The mission to ending companion animal homelessness in Camden County through community awareness and responsible pet ownership. Visit www.homewardboundnj.org/pure-hearts-awards/ to submit an online nomination to the Pure Hearts Awards. For more information on nominations or sponsorship for the Pure Hearts Awards email Melissa Meccariello at outreach@homewardboundnj.org or call 856-401-1300, ext. 117.

Camden County Animal Shelter Reaches All Time Milestone with Animal Save Rate Camden County Animal Shelter saved more animals with a milestone achievement of a 91 percent animal save rate in 2017. Specifically our save rate was 92 percent dogs and 91 percent cats. By comparison, in 2009 the shelter’s save rate was only 46 percent for cats and 73 percent for dogs. This record breaking accomplishment was achieved with continuing support from the Camden County Board of Freeholders, Camden County officials, local outreach programs, enhanced community education efforts, and partnerships with rescue organizations. Camden County Animal Shelter is the only open admission animal shelter in the region to achieve a 91 percent save rate. Our vision is to save even more lives in the coming years and to sustain a 90+ percent save rate. The goal of achieving a save rate over 90 percent is a concept and initiative driven by a collaboration of many leading national animal welfare organizations. Camden County Animal Shelter partners with national animal welfare agencies to learn best practices and lifesaving programs. Based on the lessons learned, the progressive lifesaving measures Camden County Animal Shelter have implemented resulted in a 7% live release increase from 2016 to 2017. A total of 1,540 animals were transferred out to other rescue agencies in 2017; an increase of 37% or 417 more lives saved. In addition, the foster care program and our dedicated volunteers increase care capacity to save more lives. The significant increase in our ability to save more cats was the result of building relationships with organizations and rescues focused on Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR) programs to assist with community cats that entered the shelter. Last year, the Camden County Board of Chosen Freeholders introduced a Community Cat Ordinance to serve as a model for municipalities throughout the county dealing with the challenge of stray and feral cats. This ordinance authorizing TNR programs creates a safety net for both the cats and the community. As fewer kittens are born, the community cat population is reduced. It is estimated that there are somewhere between 1.3 and 2 million stray and cats in New Jersey. In Camden County, this represents approximately 123,000 cats, almost 25,000 of which are estimated to be considered as stray or feral. “We are committed to saving all healthy and treatable animals in our care,” says Vicki Rowland, Executive Director of Camden County Animal Shelter. It is our mission to do everything we can for the homeless animals in our community.” Visit our statistics and program page for more information about these statistical reports.

Pet Food Pantry Helps 5,600 Pets The Pet Food Pantry supported by the Animal Alliance of Camden County has recognized a community need for pet food assistance. The food assistance program has provided 7,500 pounds of cat food and 22,600 pounds of dog food to 5,600 owned pets since the program launched in April 2015. Camden County Pet Food Pantry’s purpose is to keep pets with their families by offering food assistance. Owners surrender pets to local shelters regularly, and financial hardship is a common reason for doing so. The Alliance seeks to help Camden County residents keep pets in their homes by providing nutritional assistance to those in need. The only requirement is a need for assistance in providing food for a pet. The Animal Alliance of Camden County is a partnership of Camden County Shared Services and local animal welfare agencies that include Animal Adoption Center, Voorhees Animal Orphanage, Animal Welfare Association, Camden County Animal Shelter, and Independent Animal Control. Alliance members share a common goal of finding homes for unwanted and neglected animals, including efforts to keep owned pets with their families. Camden County Pet Food Pantry locations will be open to the public from 11:00 am – 1:00 pm for food pick-up on the second Saturday of every third month. Please check our calendar of events for upcoming pantry dates! Pet Food Pantry Locations: Animal Adoption Center 501 Berlin Rd N, Lindenwold, NJ 08021, www.aacnj.org Animal Welfare Association 509 Centennial Blvd, Voorhees Township, NJ 08043, www.awanj.org Camden County Animal Shelter 125 County House Road, Blackwood NJ 08012, www.homewardboundnj.org Voorhees Animal Orphanage 421 Cooper Rd, Voorhees Township, NJ 08043, www.vaonj.org

PRESS RELEASE FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:  November 20, 2017 Support the Camden County Animal Shelter on #GivingTuesday (Blackwood, NJ) – The Camden County Animal Shelter (CCAS) will participate in #GivingTuesday, a global day of giving that encourages individuals, communities and organizations to support philanthropy and to celebrate generosity worldwide. “This year, please consider making a donation to the Camden County Animal Shelter to celebrate #GivingTuesday,” said Freeholder Jonathan Young, liaison to the CCAS. “Your gift will go a long way toward helping house, feed and care for the animals waiting to be adopted into a caring home.” Held on November 28 this year, #GivingTuesday annually takes place on the Tuesday after Thanksgiving to inspire people to collaborate to give back in impactful ways to the charities and causes they support. The CCAS is pleased to join the movement by participating in #GivingTuesday again this year and hope to reach our fundraising goal of $10,000 from their generous donors. “It is rewarding to see how many organizations and individuals support our cause throughout the year and even more gratifying to see how many people take the time to give back to the community through volunteering, donating, fostering and taking part in many of our program operations on #GivingTuesday”, said Vicki Rowland, Executive Director of the CCAS. “The compassion and support we receive from the community helps us care for over 350 homeless animals every day.” 92Y − a cultural center in New York City that, since 1874, has been bringing people together around its core values of community service and giving back − conceptualized #GivingTuesday as a new way of linking individuals and causes to strengthen communities and encourage giving. In 2016, the fifth year of #GivingTuesday, millions of people in 98 countries came together to give back and support the causes they believe in. Over $177 million was raised online to benefit a tremendously broad range of organizations, and much more was given in volunteer hours, donations of food and clothing, and acts of kindness. Founded by the Freeholder Board in 1997, CCAS is an open admissions shelter and takes in over 4,000 companion animals from 18 municipalities in Camden County every year. CCAS services are to provide shelter for stray/unwanted animals, find those animals loving homes, and offer low-cost spay/neuter services. CCAS’s mission is to end companion animal homelessness in Camden County through community awareness and responsible ownership. Those who are interested in joining CCAS’s #GivingTuesday initiative can visit www.homewardboundnj.org. For more details about the #GivingTuesday movement, visit the #GivingTuesday website (www.givingtuesday.org), Facebook page ( or follow @GivingTues and the #GivingTuesday hashtag on social media. ###

The Camden County Freeholder Board has committed $1 million to the Camden County Animal Shelter (CCAS) in Gloucester Township for further expansion. This funding will be used to upgrade and improve the capacity for the shelter to perform low-cost spay/neuter surgeries, vaccinations and dental work on residents’ cats and dogs. “The Camden County Animal Shelter serves thousands of pets and their owners throughout Camden County,” said Freeholder Jonathan Young, liaison to the CCAS. “We’re making sure the shelter has the resources it needs keep our pets safe and cared for, and we want to make sure that those animals currently without a home are cared for as well.” The renovation project will expand the low-cost clinic services and enhance the animal holding space, customer service and daily housekeeping areas. The clinic improvements will include a new surgical suite and prep areas for spay and neuter surgeries for the shelter and public animals. The surgical suite will increase the capacity for public surgeries and the vaccine clinic; it will include new surgical equipment, surgery recovery space, customer lobby and desk, and surgical ventilation systems. The project is the second phase of a broader improvement plan that started in 2015. That year the shelter opened a new adoption wing where residents could interact with and adopt pets. The new wing made room for an additional 30 dogs and 50 cats. “Camden County is a very animal friendly place, whether they be pets or animals who currently don’t have a home,” Young said. “The Freeholder Board has had a longstanding commitment to treat animals, owned or homeless, in a humane manner. We believe it is the right thing to do and we want our public policy to mirror these values.” The latest expansion project began this August, and is expected to be completed by summer 2018. “We invite everyone to come and visit the dogs and cats waiting for you at the Camden County Animal Shelter,” Young said. “There is a mutual happiness derived from these encounters that leaves the animals and our visitors happier and more fulfilled.” Our clinic is still operating through the construction phases. Be sure to check our calendar for any closures. To read more about news coverage on this article click on the following links: Camden County Animal Shelter Continues Expansion, Surgical Center to Come by SNJToday.com Camden County Animal Shelter to get Million Dollar Expansion, Upgrade by CBS Philly News

Camden County Animal Shelter’s Dog Walk Fundraiser Raised $54K Gloucester Township, NJ- It was a beautiful autumn day on Saturday, October 21st at Camden County College, Blackwood where hundreds of animal lovers with their pet companions joined Camden County Animal Shelter 4th Annual Pledge-a-Paw Dog Walk. The Pledge-a-Paw Dog Walk event, sponsored by the Camden County Board of Freeholders, attracted over 250 walkers and over 50 local vendors, animal welfare groups, and rescues, all who attended to raise pledges. Pet companions enjoyed splashing in the pools, yummy treats from the Doggy Snack Bar, and showing off in the Kissing and Costume Contests. Pledge-a-Paw Dog Walk fundraisers walked a one-mile loop around Camden County College Campus led by Bobby, the 2017 Spokespet and Little Miss New Jersey. “Sophie, my pet companion and I had such great time at Pledge-A-Paw Dog Walk this year,” says Freeholder Jonathan Young, liaison to the Camden County Animal Shelter. “Together, we have raised $54,000 for the homeless animals thanks to the overwhelming support of the community.” Visitors were mesmerized with the police canine demonstrations by Gloucester Township Police Department and Camden County Police Department. Pups were very competitive in an ice cream eating contest and the always fashionable costume contest where families got a chance to dress up with their pet. Everyone enjoyed seeing the adoptable pets during the CCAS Pet Parade, where shelter pets were showcased on the stage. “It was wonderful to watch so many supporters walk for the homeless animals” said Vicki Rowland, Executive Director of Camden County Animal Shelter. “The compassion and support of the community helps us care for over 350 homeless animals every day.” Some participants included Ahimsa Acres Sanctuary, Best Friends Pet Hotel, House Paws Mobile Vet, Jamberry, Katie’s Wreaths, Rodan + Fields, Perfectly Posh, Purely Positive Pets Rescue, Scentsy, SOS Beagle Rescue, and many more. Food vendors include JJ’s Mobile Kitchen and Baby Blue Rolling Kitchen. We thank all our event sponsors Camden County Board Freeholders, Midwest Veterinary Supply, J&J Snack Foods Corp., Merck Animal Health, Chrysalis Technologies, Holman Automotive Group, Inc., Regional Veterinary, Canine Dimensions, Wells Fargo, RED Consulting Group, AMP Tech Systems LLC, VFW Post 3324 Runnemede, Mason Company, Winslow Animal Hospital, The Humane Society of the US, Wedgewood Pharmacy, PetValu, TD Bank, and Mount Laurel Animal Hospital. Thanks to Visit South Jersey for providing the “Pints for Pups” Beer and Wine Garden. Thanks to Camden County College for hosting Pledge-a-Paw Dog Walk. You can make a donation to Camden County Animal Shelter call 856-401-1300 or visit www.homewardboundnj.org.

In the midst of back-to-back storms – Hurricane Harvey and Hurricane Irma – Camden County Animal Shelter was able to transfer in a total of 10 dogs – 5 dogs from Texas and 5 dogs from Florida. These dogs were already available for adoption in their respective states. Animal shelters, organizations and rescues all came together to transport animals affected by the storms. The animal shelters in these states will serve as a housing unit for displaced owned pets to be reunited with their families. Please meet our Texan and Floridian dogs listed below. They will be available for adoption on Wednesday, 9/13. From Texas… From Florida…

Camden County Animal Shelter has committed to help animals from the devastating aftermath of Hurricane Harvey. As a network partner of Best Friends Animal Society and collaborating with local rescues, Camden County Animal Shelter anticipates its first transport of dogs early next week. Over the next few days, we are asking the community to adopt and/or foster pets from our shelter so we can make room for more animals in need from Texas. The emergency response efforts involve transporting animals available for adoption from shelters in Texas to New Jersey. Animal welfare agencies are in desperate need to clear shelters in the Houston area. This allows the shelters in surrounding cities including Houston to house owned and stray animals so they may be reunited with their families. New Jersey animal welfare rescues were the first to receive animals from the area affected by Hurricane Harvey. The recovery efforts will take weeks to months to heal from the impact. “We have been watching with compassion as the people in Texas rescue their pets from the flood waters with boats, shopping carts and even carrying them on their shoulders,” says Vicki Rowland, Executive Director of Camden County Animal Shelter. “It is touching to watch and we have the ability to help. By taking animals already in the Texas shelters find new homes in New Jersey we are helping the overcrowded shelters and allowing the families in Texas find and keep their pets with them.”

Camden County Animal Shelter received over 40 pets from an eviction case in Pine Hill, including 16 Maltese and Chi dogs, 20 domestic rats, 4 turtles, 1 hamster and 1 cat. Pets were left behind after owners were evicted from the residence. All dogs are in great condition and are available for adoption. We received an extraordinary amount of people reaching out to help and we are so appreciative of that! There are several things you can do to help: Donate: We are in need of monetary donations in order to provide vaccinations, microchips, spay/neuter surgeries, food, shelter and compassionate care to the dogs we are currently housing. To help with medical expenses consider donating to the Bella Memorial Medical Fund. The fund enables the Camden County Animal Shelter to provide costly medical care and procedures to needy pets wanting nothing more than to continue loving and enjoying life with a human companion. Foster: We are in need of foster homes for several of the dogs we are housing. Dogs in our care, especially in cases like this, have a much easier time adjusting to their new surroundings in a home environment rather than in a shelter. If you would like to foster a pet, please email sara@homewardboundnj.org. Shelter Items: With the influx of dogs taken into the shelter, we are in need of blankets, towels, sheets, small/medium crates, dog toys, wet and dry dog food. Donations can be dropped off at our shelter located at 125 County House Road, Blackwood, NJ 08012. You can also visit our Amazon wishlist here: Adopt: These adorable pups will be up for adoption soon so continue to check our Facebook and website for when they will be available for adoption. The dogs we currently have need to be medically cleared, spayed/neutered, and assessed behaviorally before they will be ready to meet potential adopters. Please remember, we have plenty of dogs and cats waiting patiently at our shelter already for their forever homes. Camden County Animal Shelter cares for any animal regardless of the reason which may include a pet surrendered by their owners due to medical issues or financial limitations, a stray animal that has been abandoned as well as any animal that has suffered extreme neglect from starvation and medical treatment. Every day we provide quality medical care and housing for our animals as we strive to find them new loving homes. We thank all organizations that helped this process and rescuing the dozens of animals left behind without a home.

A cat was found injured in Camden on Friday, 8/11 who has been named James. James is estimated to be one year old. He had a fractured jaw and broken leg when he was picked up by an animal control officer. James fell off a balcony from a fifth-floor building in Camden. James was taken to Blackwood Animal Shelter for immediate treatment and placed into a medical foster home by Camden County Animal Shelter.

Gloucester Township, NJ – Camden County Animal Shelter found homes for 97 pets; 56 dogs and 41 cats on Saturday, August 19th thanks to NBC10’s and Telemundo62’s Clear the Shelters pet adoption campaign. Thank you to the Camden County Board of Freeholders for sponsoring the fee-waived adoptions. A special thanks to all the volunteers and staff of Camden County Animal Shelter who made this event happen. “It truly is a wonderful experience to see so many pets go home in one day”, says Vicki Rowland, Executive Director of Camden County Animal Shelter. “So far this year we have found homes for more than 2,400 pets.” The popular pet adoption campaign by Philadelphia/WCAU and Telemundo62/WWSI – Clear the Shelters  –  resulted in 4,837 local pet adoptions. Launched in July 2017 and culminating on Clear the Shelters day, Saturday, August 19, the stations’ pet adoption initiative included the participation of nearly 50 animal shelters in the Greater Philadelphia region. On Saturday alone, 1,450 adoptions took place, a 30 percent increase from 2016. Nationally, the third annual Clear the Shelters campaign resulted in the adoption of more than 68,000 pets. Since 2015, NBC10 and Telemundo owned stations’ Clear the Shelters campaign has resulted in more than 141,000 pet adoptions. Visit www.homewardboundnj.org for more information about adopting a pet, volunteering or to view pets available for adoption. Call 856-401-1300 or visit us at 125 County House Road, Blackwood New Jersey 08012. For more information about the stations’ Clear the Shelters 2017 pet adoption campaign, including photos and local pet adoption stories, visit NBC10.com and Telemundo62.com. To access stories and photos from other Clear the Shelters participating markets, visit ClearTheShelters.com. To access information in Spanish, please visit DesocuparLosAlbergues.com. Clear the Shelters is an initiative spearheaded by NBCUniversal Owned Television Stations, a division of NBCUniversal.

Animal Welfare Directors of Camden County highlight lifesaving initiatives at National Conference Camden County’s animal welfare leaders, Vicki Rowland, Camden County Animal Shelter (CCAS) Executive Director and Maya Richmond, Animal Welfare Association (AWA) Executive Director will be speaking at the Best Friends National Conference in Atlantic City, New Jersey on July 13 through 15 at Harrah’s Waterfront Conference Center. Both Directors will be highlighting how their organizations have collaborated and resulted in measurable lifesaving impact in Camden County at the Save Them All: Northeast Regional Case Studies workshop. Best Friends National Conference have selected speakers to highlight best practices in animal welfare; who will share and connect with thousands of animal welfare leaders from all over the country. It was only a few years ago when animals were not safe in our community. ”The leadership of AWA and CCAS created programs to lower the number of homeless animals entering our Camden County’s shelter and have worked to increase pet adoptions. What they have done is working and they should be recognized for their leadership,” shared Camden County Board of Freeholders, Jeffery Nash. Together these two organizations lead the no-kill movement in Camden County with a 92% live release collectively; both continue to identify lifesaving initiatives to reach community wide no-kill. “We combine our organizational strengths to better the lives of animals”, says Vicki Rowland, Executive Director of CCAS. “With organizational collaboration, we unite our leadership skills sets, knowledge and information that increases our capacity to do more for our animals in Camden County.” Camden County Animal Shelter is an open-admission progressive shelter that exclusively holds the animal service contracts for the City of Camden and 17 other municipalities in Camden County. “By sharing resources, being transparent in our objectives, and trusting each other the collaboration between Animal Welfare Association (Voorhees, NJ) and Camden County Animal Shelter (Blackwood, NJ) has changed the landscape for the animals in our community”, says Maya Richmond, Executive Director of AWA. Animal Welfare Association is a private limited-intake shelter with 69 years of providing progressive community-wide services. Over the last four years, both organizations have collaborated resources and successfully demonstrated results with decreasing stray pet impoundment from the City of Camden. Directors background Vicki Rowland has 10 years of experience in animal welfare that involves management, marketing and public relations, strategic planning, and fundraising development. Since 2013, Vicki has held the position of executive director of the Animal Welfare Society of Camden County (AWSCC) nonprofit operating the Camden County Animal Shelter (CCAS) in Blackwood, New Jersey. Maya Richmond has 15 years of experience in animal welfare and before joining AWA in 2009, she was the director of operations and program development for the Maryland SPCA in Baltimore. She enjoys using her business knowledge to design programs that directly improve the welfare of animals in the community. At AWA, she has worked to develop sustainable programs and fundraising so that AWA can do more for the community, including comprehensive pet programs in the City of Camden.

Camden County Animal Shelter Receives Service Enterprise Certification Camden County Animal Shelter is pleased to announce that we have been certified by Points of Light as a Service Enterprise! A Service Enterprise is an organization that fundamentally leverages volunteers and their skills throughout their organization to successfully deliver on its social mission. Research conducted by the TCC Group, a national program and evaluation firm, found that organizations operating as Service Enterprises outperform peer organizations on all aspects of organizational effectiveness, and are more adaptable, sustainable and capable of scaling their work. Camden County Animal Shelter completed an extensive assessment, over 20 hours of training and consulting and extensive internal planning and change to better integrate volunteers in our day to day operations. By achieving this level of excellence and certification, Camden County Animal Shelter is now better equipped to leverage the time and talent of volunteers and better meet our mission. Volunteers at the shelter were previously limited to animal interaction and basic housekeeping services. Now there are roles for volunteers in our administrative offices, adoption and fostering, vaccine and clinic services, social media assistance, special events and fundraising support and more. These new volunteer roles enable Camden County Animal Shelter to operate at an improved capacity. This new program has provided us the tools to increase overall animal release rates, provide enhanced services and hours available for the public at the walk-in vaccine and clinic, raise funds through special events and promotions and save thousands of dollars on administrative costs on an annual basis. For more information regarding volunteer opportunities with our organization, please visit www.homewardboundnj.org. For further information regarding the Service Enterprise Initiative, please contact Pat Guerrero, CVA, Senior Manager, Volunteer Engagement & Programs, Best Friends Animal Society at (435) 644-2001 ext. 4484 or email patg@bestfriends.org.

The Freeholder Board announced a new program, Reading to the Rescued, where students from Brookfield Schools read books to rescued dogs at the Camden County Animal Shelter. This program pairs students, from 10 to 17-years-old, with timid dogs that are getting acclimated to their new homes and potential adoption from the shelter.
“This program is another innovative way to create a partnership where both the county and the children derive a significant benefit,” said Freeholder Jonathan Young, liaison to the animal shelter. “The students get to improve their reading skills, while the animals get the attention and companionship they desire.

The Reading to the Rescued program was founded on the idea that reading to non-judgmental animals would increase students’ confidence and willingness to read out loud. The program also gives students the opportunity make toys for the dogs and cats and participate in a collection drive to help with shelter supplies.

The Freeholder Board recently introduced a Community Cat Ordinance to serve as a model for municipalities dealing with the challenge of stray and feral cats.

“The Community Cat Ordinance is based on the principles of trap, neuter and return (TNR), which we feel is the most effective method of managing the stray and feral cat population,” said Freeholder Jeff Nash. “TNR is a non-lethal population control technique utilized to humanely capture, vaccinate, identify and spay or neuter cats.”

Camden County Animal Shelter (CCAS), today announced it has been awarded a $30,000 grant from the Petco Foundation to support its efforts to provide spay/neuter surgeries for personally owned cats as well as community cats within Camden County. Camden County Animal Shelter has been progressively working to reduce the overwhelming stray and unwanted animal population in Camden County through low-cost spay/neuter services.