Joybound welcomes our younger community members into the world of animal care with camps, hands-on lessons, meaningful service projects, and more. Children and teens enrolled in our variety of youth programs learn to become animal-loving citizens invested in giving back to their community.

Birthday Parties at Joybound

Does your special birthday kid love dogs and cats? Throw their celebration at a venue filled with wagging tails and purring hearts!

Joybound’s birthday parties are held on Saturdays, from 10 am – 12 pm in our party room. This space can accommodate a maximum of 15 children (not including adult guardians). The first hour consists of a tour of Joybound’s adoption floor and other parts of the facility depending on child’s age, a mock pet adoption, and a visit from a furry member of our Pet Hug Pack® therapy pet program. After that, you’ll have the last 30 – 60 minutes to use the room for food, presents, games, etc. Joybound’s birthday parties cost $500 and must be booked at least one month in advance.

Learn more about hosting your child’s birthday party at Joybound. Or book their party right now — our team will follow up for payment based on the availability of your selected date.

Camps for Kids

Our award-winning camps for kids are BACK! Stay tuned for more information regarding signups and other information.

Let’s inspire the next generation of animal lovers! We’re welcoming students ages 10-14 years old to Camp Joybound! This weeklong camp at Joybound’s Walnut Creek headquarters introduces students to veterinary medicine and animal care, providing hands-on experience with dogs and cats in a fun and instructive environment.  

Throughout the week, students will learn alongside, shadow, and engage in hands-on care with our clinic, animal care, training, and adoption experts. It’s perfect for students with a passion for animal care and wellness, life sciences, and medicine. 

Upcoming Camp Sessions

Teen Volunteering

Shelter to Service Foster Training

Is your teen looking to add something extra-special to their college applications? Or maybe they just want to get involved in the community? Joybound’s Shelter to Service program is looking for volunteer foster trainers who can prepare a shelter dog for their advanced training to become a psychiatric service animal or facility animal.

These canine candidates spend 15 weeks with their foster families, following a daily training regimen guided by our professional trainers, and attending training sessions twice per week at Joybound’s Walnut Creek headquarters. By getting a head start on foundational training and exposure to a variety of stimuli while staying with their foster families, these dogs are well-prepared for their specialized/individualized training once they’re matched with their program participants.

“Fostering has taught my kids to be responsible — and made their love for animals grow so much!”

Kaitlyn, Volunteer since 2020

Family-Friendly Events

From game nights to movie viewings, we have a wide variety of fun and educational activities for kids and families. View the list below for upcoming family events or visit our Events page for all of Joybound’s upcoming events.

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Goliath receiving medical treatment

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