Amazon Donated 50 Tons Of Food To Homeward Bound During Pandemic

GLOUCESTER TOWNSHIP, NJ — Amazon has donated more than 50 tons of pet food to the Homeward Bound Pet Adoption Center’s pet pantry over the past year, county officials said.

The partnership was established on May 14, 2020, at the height of the coronavirus pandemic. It began with an employee at the Amazon Distribution Center in Sewell who saw tons of pet food having to be wasted.

He and the center then reached out to Homeward Bound to establish a partnership that could put the food to use for animals in need.

“This is a fantastic example of a successful public, private and nonprofit partnership that benefits so many in need,” Homeward Bound Executive Director Jill Rawlins said. “Hundreds, if not thousands, of dogs and cats, who are able to be kept at home and not brought to the shelter, by these efforts. We are proud to be a part of this partnership.”

Through this partnership, pet food items which would have otherwise been thrown away due to marketing changes, minor damage, or customer return, are now donated to the shelter on a weekly basis.

The food is used to support animals in the shelter’s care and is distributed throughout the community to assist pet owners in need.

“This partnership has been an incredible success for South Jersey’s animals since its inception, so much so that we needed to build a new storage barn on the property just to properly store everything that’s coming in,” Camden County Commissioner Jonathan Young, liaison to Homeward Bound, said. “We are extremely thankful for Amazon’s generosity and commitment to supporting the pets and animals in our region. Homeward Bound is the region’s leading open admission shelter thanks to partnerships like this and the total commitment of its staff to finding pets their forever home.”

For more information about Homeward Bound Pet Adoption Center, call 856-401-1300, or visit https://homewardboundnj.org/.