Founded by the Camden County Board of Commissioners in 1997, the Camden County Animal Shelter (CCAS), now the Homeward Bound Pet Adoption Center, has been fighting to reduce the overwhelming stray/unwanted animal population in its county. Homeward Bound Pet Adoption Center is an open admissions shelter and takes in over 5,000 companion animals from 18 municipalities in Camden County every year. The Animal Welfare Society of Camden County (AWSCC) has been operating Homeward Bound Pet Adoption Center since 2004.
Homeward Bound Pet Adoption Center now does three major things:
- Provide shelter for stray/unwanted animals
- Find those animals loving homes
- Provide low-cost spay/neuter services
In addition to taking in animals, Homeward Bound Pet Adoption Center holds a multitude of events every year in order to help those looking to adopt to find the animal of their dreams, be it an adoption event or a full-blown Pledge-A-Paw Dog Walk. By providing the service at such a cheap cost, Homeward Bound Pet Adoption Center hopes to reduce the number of stray/unwanted animals in the county.
Programs
Seniors for Seniors is a program that provides fee-waived adoptions for qualifying applicants. The program places senior cats and dogs (typically over 7 years of age) with senior citizens who are 60 years of age or older, allowing participants to discover the joys of having a cat or dog in their lives. Pet ownership is known to reduce depression, loneliness, and stress while improving the overall well-being of senior citizen populations.
PetsForVets provides shelter animals to veterans at no fee. This program is a small thank you to Camden County veterans who have selflessly served our country, and will provide the men and women in uniform with companions from the shelter that will supply unconditional love to the most valued members of our society. The program is open to all active military, reservists or veterans. Camden County residents meeting the criteria of the program will have their adoption fee waived. The animal shelter will need valid military identification to waive the adoption fee. If you are a veteran and do not have identification, you can contact the Office of Veterans Affairs at (856) 374-5801.
The 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 was formed in 2011 by five local animal welfare organizations and the Camden County Board of Commissioners, who decided to coordinate their efforts to better serve the pets and residents of the county. Current members include the Animal Adoption Center, Animal Welfare Association, Homeward Bound, Voorhees Animal Orphanage, and Independent Animal Control. Member organizations work together to improve the well-being of companion animals and their owners in the community, including joint efforts such as adoption events, spay/neuter partnerships, and transporting animals in need to reduce populations.