Kellie Owens, Founder and Owner of Homeward Bound, Inc. has been working in the animal care industry for more than a decade. She first realized she had a passion and understanding for animals as a child when she rescued her kitty, CeCe, from a perilous situation. They became inseparable. CeCe seemed forever grateful and their deep relationship, rooted in nonverbal communication, intrigued and inspired Kellie.
Kellie’s first professional position in the animal care industry was as Programs Coordinator for the non-profit organization Canine Assistants, Inc. in Atlanta, Georgia. Canine Assistants is the nation’s largest service dog training organization. She was partnered to work with a Golden Retriever named Wettie who became Kellie’s special once-in-a-lifetime companion. (Visit Canine Assistant’s website and make a contribution! www.canineassistants.org)
Kellie’s work with Wettie and Canine Assistants awakened an interest and commitment to the understanding, nurturing, and development of the human-animal bond and the healing power animals have on their human companions
Kellie moved to Oxford, MS with her husband in 2005. Missing the work she’d loved with animals in Atlanta, she found herself seeking opportunities to engage with other people’s pets – lots of pet sitting for friends and family! In the spring of 2006, Kellie was hired to conceptualize, plan, and ultimately oversee the opening of a “resort” style boarding facility. Her driving passion, love, and respect for animals pushed her to create a service that would be a fit for the most special pets she could think of, her own. While very proud of her accomplishments in the completion of this project, she found that most pets were extremely stressed in the kennel environment and unfortunately, this included her own. As a result, when she and her husband travelled, she would drive her pets to Atlanta to leave them in a home environment with her parents. Kellie realized she was not the only pet parent who was going to such extreme measures for the emotional comfort and safety of their pets. This experience led to the concept for Homeward Bound, Inc., providing in-home pet care. Boarding may be suitable for some pets, but most would rather be in the coziness of their own home. Kellie is proud to offer the option of in-home care pet care services to the pets and pet parents of Oxford, MS.