About Homeward Bound

Our story

A community-centered shelter since 1975

Homeward Bound, Addison County's Humane Society, is a private and independent 501(c)(3) open-admission shelter — caring for the animals of Addison County for nearly 50 years.

We are dedicated to protecting the well-being of homeless, abandoned, and abused or neglected animals. We never turn away an animal in need, and our loyal foster community extends our capacity by roughly 30% each year, opening more space for the next animal who needs us.

We never euthanize healthy, adoptable animals — regardless of length of stay or space available. When we do make the heartbreaking decision to euthanize, it is because an animal is so injured, sick, or behaviorally damaged that adoption would be an inhumane or unsafe choice. While our policies and practices mirror those of most "no-kill" shelters, we choose not to use that label, because the term has no universally accepted definition and is often misunderstood.

Our vision

A community that is nurturing and compassionate towards all animals.
A community where no animal suffers from abuse or neglect.
A community where companion animals are treated as lifelong, valued family members.

Our impact

What community support makes possible

Homeward Bound is 100% community funded — every adoption, surgery, and second chance is powered by neighbors who care.

Years serving Addison County

Animals cared for each year

Adoptions a year

Spay/neuter surgeries a year

An annual operating budget of just over $1 million, carried out by 13 staff and a year-round volunteer program. We receive no federal, state, or unrestricted national funding, and no unrestricted funding from national humane organizations — though some local towns contribute to support contracted services and as charitable gifts.

Our pledge to donors

We make sure every donor feels appreciated, with visible demonstrations of impact.
We share real rescue stories and the life-changing outcomes they create.
We build lasting relationships through feedback and continuous improvement.
We show the immediate, local impact of every gift in our community.

Independent & local

Homeward Bound is the Addison County Humane Society — a private nonprofit serving Addison County, Vermont. We are not part of the Humane Society of the United States and are not connected to or governed by any other humane society. We rely on donations, fees for services, and fundraising to run the shelter 365 days a year.

Governance

2026 Board of Directors

Homeward Bound is governed by an all-volunteer Board of Directors and operated by paid staff.

MF

Maria FarnsworthPresident

ML

Matt LongmanVice President

JE

Jennifer ErwinSecretary

LM

Liz MarkowskiDirector

HH

Hilary HatchDirector

SD

Sonya Sorenson DanyowDirector

SS

Scott SutorDirector

IG

Isabel "Izzy" GogartyDirector

MB

Mikala BolmerDirector

KC

Kelli Jo CloutierDirector

Our team

The people behind every second chance

A small, dedicated team of 13 keeps the shelter running, the animals cared for, and the community served.

Administrative staff

KP

Karin PageExecutive Director

NH

Nance HallOffice Manager

HM

Hannah ManleyDevelopment Director

KC

KC CourseyProgram Coordinator

Animal care team

JH

Joi HartShelter Manager

YP

Ylva PiccaCanine Coordinator / Adoption Counselor

LP

Lauren PetersonFeline Coordinator / Adoption Counselor

RC

Richelle CuravooAnimal Care / Adoptions

KH

Krista HuntAnimal Care

RS

Raina StraubAnimal Care / Adoptions

MM

Michael MorseAnimal Care / Adoptions

ML

Michelle LubinskiAnimal Care / Adoptions

Medical program team

AJ

Dr. Alexandra Jakubik-Diaz, DVMShelter Veterinarian

CB

Chelsey BerlicMedical Programs Manager

EB

Emily BoiseShelter Veterinary Technician

HL

Hannah LabonteVeterinary Technician

LA

Lauren AndrewsVeterinary Assistant

Employment

Thank you for your interest! We don't currently have any openings at Homeward Bound — please check back. Homeward Bound is an Equal Opportunity / Affirmative Action employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, protected veteran status, or any other category legally protected by federal or state law.

Community partners

Grateful for those who support our work

As a community-centered shelter that supports the human-animal bond, we are grateful to the businesses and organizations that support us.

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Media partners

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Program partners

IPJ Real Estate
Gail I. Hartman Fund

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Everything from funding and volunteering to surrenders, strays, and how we work with law enforcement.

Fundraising

Homeward Bound is the Addison County Humane Society. We are a private non-profit organization serving Addison County, Vermont.

We rely on donations, fees for services, and fundraising activities to bring in the income to run the shelter 365 days a year and to provide the programs for animals and people that fulfill our mission.

We do not receive any federal or state funds. We do receive some funding from local towns either to provide contracted services or as a charitable contribution.

Volunteering

Please see our volunteer program for complete information and details on how to get involved.

We currently require volunteers to be 16 to volunteer independently at the shelter. Children under 16 may volunteer in select capacities with one-to-one adult supervision.

We are governed by an all-volunteer Board of Directors and operated by paid staff. We operate a year-round volunteer program, and our volunteers support and expand the services staff provides to the animals and the community.

Euthanasia

While Homeward Bound's policies and practices about euthanasia are the same as most no-kill shelters, we choose not to use that term. Homeward Bound does not euthanize animals who are adoptable, regardless of length of stay or space available in the shelter. When we do decide to euthanize an animal, the decision is made because the animal is either so injured, sick, or behaviorally damaged that adoption would be an inhumane or unsafe choice.

The phrase "no-kill" can make people feel very good about supporting an organization, and it can also be very confusing and misunderstood. There are many good shelters that call themselves "no-kill," just as there are many fine shelters that are "open admission." Ultimately, much of the confusion about "no-kill" stems from the fact that there is no universally accepted definition of the term. One organization's idea of no-kill can vary widely from another's. Therefore, it is important to look into the issues surrounding the idea of no-kill in order to understand the ways in which organizations help animals.

Medical care / spay & neuter

We do offer basic preventative wellness care and subsidized spay/neuter surgery to qualifying pet owners enrolled in our PetCORE program. We offer affordable spay/neuter services to pet owners in Addison County and Brandon through our PetFIX program.

Due to the constraints of our kennels, we are unable to board owner animals or provide temporary care. We do make an exception for pet owners who are experiencing crisis or are victims of domestic violence — see our Pets In Crisis program for more information.

We do not currently adopt out FeLV+ cats, but we do adopt out FIV+ cats with counseling and specific adoption requirements. For information on FIV+ cats, please see our FIV+ adopter handout (PDF).

Surrenders

We accept and offer shelter and care to all animals in need. Therefore we do not require a fee from anyone surrendering a pet or bringing in a stray. However, because of the expenses we incur to feed, house, vet, and re-home an animal, we ask that you give as generous a donation as you are able at the time of surrender.

No. First and foremost, making a good match is our top priority — and if that means that someone who previously surrendered an animal winds up being a great match for another pet somewhere in the future, then we're thrilled to make that match. We understand that people's lives change and that sometimes, due to a variety of circumstances, people are unable to keep, maintain, and care for their pets. Years later, under different circumstances, that same person may be ready and interested in adopting a new pet.

Due to the fact that we are open limited hours each week, and sometimes care for more than 100 animals each day, we utilize appointments to keep the shelter on schedule. Likewise, we have limited space and resources and — because we are housing healthy and behaviorally sound animals for as long as it takes to find a home — effective resource management is key to our success. Occasionally, depending on the current pet population in our shelter, we may have a wait list for people who need to re-home their pets.

First, please take a moment to gather all the information about your pet that you have gotten while you owned them and think about your pet and what special needs and quirks he or she may have. This will enable you to answer the staff questions quickly and easily. Please call the shelter during our open hours and you will speak with a staff person who will take down your information and schedule your appointment. As mentioned before, you may be placed on a wait list if the shelter is full. Please don't wait to the last minute before calling us if you think you may need to re-home your pet. We would much rather cancel your appointment than be unable to accommodate you! See our surrender options to begin.

Strays

We accept stray animals from citizens and Animal Control Officers, but we do not have the staff resources to go out and "catch" them.

Try first to find out if the animal has a collar or tags and is an owned pet out for a stroll! If not, or if you are not sure, you may bring the animal in to us or call your town Animal Control Officer to do so for you. Even if it's outside of our usual hours, we have staff here taking care of the shelter animals and can always help a stray. See our Lost & Found page for more.

We are required by state law to hold the animal for 5 business days to allow an owner a reasonable amount of time to locate their pet. During that period, we will provide any urgent medical care if required. After that period, we will begin to ready the animal for adoption — scheduling vaccinations, spay/neuter if needed, veterinary check-ups, and behavioral assessments.

We do not have the capacity or authority to accept wild animals at the shelter. If you find an injured wild animal, please check this list of trained wildlife rehabilitators (PDF) to locate assistance.

Animal neglect / cruelty

We do not conduct animal cruelty or neglect investigations on our own. See our Humane Investigations program for information on how we work with law enforcement.

Please call your local law enforcement agency (this would be whoever does the police work in your town, or the Vermont State Police if you do not have a local agency). Animal cruelty is a crime, and our certified law enforcement officers are the best people to handle potential criminal cases! Law enforcement will call us if they need help resolving a problem that requires education and resources.

Help us be there for the next animal

Every adoption, surgery, and second chance is powered by this community. Give, volunteer, or foster — and be part of the story.

♥ Donate today 🐾 Volunteer with us