paw printsSpring 2019

HOMEWARD BOUNDADOPTION CENTER125 County House Rd. Blackwood, NJ 08012

Phone: 856.401.1300 Fax: 856.401.1309 info@homewardboundnj.org www.homewardboundnj.org

Hours of OperationAdoption Center HoursMonday - Closed Tuesday - 11 am-6 pm Wednesday - 11 am-6 pm Thursday - 11 am-6 pm Friday - 11 am-4 pm Saturday - 11 am-4 pm Sunday - 11 am-4 pm

Vaccine Clinic — Walk-in OnlyTuesday - 9 am-10:30 am Wednesday - 9 am-10:30 am Thursday - 9 am-10:30 am Friday - 9 am-10:30 am

Surgery Hours — By AppointmentSurgery drop by 8 am Surgery pick up by 3 pm

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Letter from theExecutive DirectorDear Homeward Bound Family,

It is with great excitement that I welcome you to the new Homeward Bound Pet Adoption Center (HBPAC). While our logo and facility have been updated, our mission and commitment to the animals in our community remain as strong

as ever. In fact, this mission has expanded thanks to the support and dedication of every donor, volunteer, adoptive/foster family, and well-wisher who has believed in, encouraged and contributed to this rebranding.

As of today, our new odometer signage — prominently displayed in our adoption lobby — reads 962. That’s 962 animals you have helped us save and rehome to loving families. This is the crux of our vision, and the motivating factor for our redesigned logo; it articulates the movement of our mission: to ensure that all the animals that come through our doors find themselves happily bounding home in the backseat of their forever family’s car.

In addition to our logo, I encourage you to visit our building expansion, completed in November 2018. This expansion not only includes the completion of our adoption center, but also boasts a state-of-the-art veterinary surgical facility which enables us to provide high-quality care at an affordable cost. As a result, I am proud to report that Homeward Bound leads the region with the highest save rate at 93%! Our expanded facilities aims at increasing this number even more over the coming years.

I invite you to stop by and tour our new facility, meet our staff, and play with our incredible animals. I hope you continue to join us in our mission to provide quality veterinary services to the community and support us as we grow to respond to the needs of every family that comes to us for help.

On behalf of the animals we serve, and the staff who care for them, I thank you for your continued support. Without you, none of this would be possible.

Sincerely,

Vicki Rowland Executive Director

@homewardboundnj www.facebook.com/ HomewardBoundPetAdoptionCenter

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Happy Tails!Yoshi (formerly Finian) is living his best life. Here’s what his adopter had to say:

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Playful Yoshi looking dapper

If you have Happy Tails to tell, please submit them to us at info@HomewardBoundNJ.org.

The Power of the MicrochipDid you know that almost three million animals are lost each year in shelters across the country? Many of these animals are pets who got lost or otherwise separated from their owners. Microchipping is a great way to safeguard your beloved pets!

Approximately the length of a grain of rice, a microchip is inserted under your pet’s skin via needle and acts as a personal database of your pet’s information. This database includes medical history, contact information for you and any other pertinent info a rescue organization would need to expedite a happy reunion!

Our clinic offers this service for $35 (a 22% discount from the national average). Included in this fee is registration into the national pet recovery database. Consider dropping by our new clinic to enroll your pet for peace of mind this month! While here, you can also pick up new physical tags for $5-$8 at our freshly stocked adoption shop.

I knew Yoshi was my cat when he used his paws to pull my hand down to pet him. I adopted him the next day and he hasn’t stopped asking for pets since. Yoshi is a very social cat and loves to be around people — especially me. He even follows me to the bathroom and sleeps on my pillow at night! He is FIV positive and has FeLV, but neither one affects him in his daily life. He’s just a snuggly, curious, energetic furball and I’m so glad I adopted him! (Yoshi is on my lap right now and approves this message.)

A huge round of applause for our friends at DaVita!

In January of 2019, teammates from the Catori Division, Region 4, of DaVita Kidney Care presented a $4,600 check to HBPAC on behalf of their “DaVita Way of Giving 2019” campaign, a community-focused program that strives to serve, affirm, and sustain local nonprofits. We were nominated for this honor by long-time volunteer, Hazel Thompson, who is a Home Program Manager for DaVita. In addition to her professional life, Thompson is a dedicated dog-walker, foster mom, and special events cheerleader for HBPAC. Marie Hall, Facility Administrator for DaVita, joined Thompson for the check presentation.

To our DaVita benefactors, we thank you on behalf of our staff, our animals, and the families we serve.

Sponsor Spotlight

From Left to Right: Marie Hall, Facility Administrator for DaVita; Vicki Rowland, Executive Director for HBPAC; Hazel Thompson, HBPAC Volunteer and Home Program Manager for DaVita; and Bertha (who has since found her forever home).

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March 6th was a big day for Homeward Bound!We officially launched our brand new logo, held a ribbon cutting for our state-of-the-art medical facility, and welcomed media from all over South Jersey to join us in celebrating the big things happening at Homeward Bound!

With our staff and volunteers, Freeholder Jonathan Young was on hand to kick-off the festivities with high praise for what we’ve been doing these last few months. Executive Director, Vicki Rowland, highlighted our mission moving forward while members of the public community applauded their support. Several of our animals also made guest appearances before joining special needs children from Brookfield Elementary School for some 1:1 story time! Stop by and celebrate with us!

in the community!April 30th Adopt a Shelter Pet DayMay 5-12th Be Kind to Animals WeekJune 1st Registration Opens for Pledge-a-Paw! June 7th Krispy Kreme FundraiserAugust 9th Spoil Your Pet Rotten DayAugust 17th National Clear the Shelters with NBC10October 19th Pledge-a-Paw Dog Walk

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In Memorium – Sparky Plugs, the Pup Who Beat MVD!In 2008, Kimberly Valentine adopted a chihuahua-toy fox terrier mix from the Camden County Animal Shelter. Subsequently named ‘Sparky Plugs,’ he soon became a spokes-pup for Mitral Valve Disease (MVD).

Sparky was so loved by his adoptive momma that she flew him all the way to France for cutting-edge surgery that saved his life. This electric and faithful pup lived a full life and gave hope to dozens of animals struggling with MVD. Sadly, Sparky passed away just after Thanksgiving 2018, but his legacy will live on as the dog who beat MVD. We salute Valentine for her care and dedication, and we wish Sparky treats and toys aplenty over the Rainbow Bridge.

For more information about Sparky and MVD: http://bit.ly/sparkyplugs.Wag Your Tail Photography

Petco Foundation Grants $75,000 to Homeward BoundThe Petco Foundation has long been one of Homeward Bound’s most steadfast benefactors. This year, they graciously presented us with $75,000 aimed at expanding our community TNR program, supplementing our public animal spay/neuter program, and bolstering our promotion of adoptions. Thanks to their generosity, Homeward Bound will be able to target high-risk populations, thus reducing the cat population which will subsequently reduce the rate of euthanasia. It will also support lifesaving programs and medical treatments already in place so that those animals we do have are able to be matched with their waiting families more effectively.

The Petco Foundation puts love into action every single day through their various programs, outreach initiatives, and charitable contributions. Homeward Bound is honored and incredibly appreciative of their continued support.

Cutting Edge Medical Suite now in Camden County!Our medical suite has more than doubled in capacity this year! We now have 2 state-of-the-art operating beds that can swivel and expand to accommodate animals of all sizes! In addition to these beds, there are high-quality surgical lights that dispel shadows and make intricate surgeries more easy to navigate for our talented vets. There is also a brand new prep area dedicated solely to cleaning and preparing animals for everything from routine spay and neuter surgeries to dental exams and regular vaccinations. When our animals come out of surgery, they have brand new recovery kennels to rest and recuperate in! Finally, there is now an on-site lab and temperature controlled medicine storage to help us expedite diagnosis and treatment of our animals!

All of these incredible changes are thanks to the generosity of the Camden County Board of Freeholders. Their dedication, care, and unparalleled passion for animals has helped us build something incredible here. On behalf of our animals, THANK YOU!