St. Hubert's Animal Welfare Center: Adoption and How to Help

✍️ LargestCharities Editorial Team | 📅 Last updated: June 2026

St. Hubert's Animal Welfare Center, founded in 1939 in Madison, New Jersey, is a no-kill nonprofit and part of the Humane Rescue Alliance. It is known for its Sister Shelter WayStation transport program and one of the largest dog training schools in the country. Here is how adoption, the transport program, and the training school work.

TypeNo-kill; Humane Rescue Alliance
Founded1939
HeadquartersMadison, New Jersey
Service areaNorthern New Jersey and national transport
Websitesthuberts.org
Charity NavigatorFour stars
St. Hubert's merged with the Humane Rescue Alliance in 2019; it is not an ASPCA affiliate. It ended its municipal animal-control contracts in 2023, so it no longer houses strays for those towns.
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What St. Hubert's is

St. Hubert's Animal Welfare Center, founded in 1939, is a no-kill nonprofit based in Madison, New Jersey. In 2019 it merged with the Humane Rescue Alliance in Washington, DC, and it is part of that larger organization. It is not an affiliate of the ASPCA, though it once hosted the ASPCA's first behavioral rehabilitation center, which relocated to North Carolina in 2017.

Its role has shifted in recent years. St. Hubert's ended its municipal animal-control and stray-housing services at the start of 2023, dropping the contracts it had held for 19 towns, so it no longer functions as those communities' stray shelter.

Adopting a pet from St. Hubert's

Adoption fees are published and tiered by age and species, and each adoption includes spay or neuter, a microchip, age-appropriate vaccines, and food.

AnimalAdoption fee
Puppy, under 5 months$500
Adult dog$375
Senior dog, 8 and older$200
Kitten, under 5 months$250
Adult cat$200
Senior cat, 8 and older$100
Rabbit$50
Guinea pig$40
Rat or hamster$10

Adoption is walk-in with no appointment, and most pets can go home the same day, while adult dogs arriving by transport may be available the next day. The Madison center is open most afternoons from 1:30 to 6 p.m., with Thursday hours starting at 3 p.m.

Transport, the training school, and how to help

The Sister Shelter WayStation is a transport program that has moved more than 20,000 pets through a network of more than 90 partner shelters, bringing animals from crowded regions to areas where they can be adopted. The dog training school, running since 1983, offers puppy, basic, agility, and nosework classes across several training rings.

St. Hubert's also runs a pet food bank, vaccine clinics, emergency pet boarding, lost-pet support, and foster care. It holds a four-star rating from Charity Navigator, and its EIN for tax-deductible gifts is 22-1627726.

Programs

Pet adoption

Dogs, cats, and small animals at the Madison center.

Sister Shelter WayStation

A transport program that has moved more than 20,000 pets.

Dog Training School

Classes since 1983, one of the largest such schools in the country.

Pet food bank

Food assistance for owners in need.

Emergency boarding

Temporary boarding for pets in crisis situations.

Foster care

Temporary homes for animals awaiting adoption.

By the numbers

Frequently asked questions

Is St. Hubert's an ASPCA affiliate?
No. St. Hubert's merged with the Humane Rescue Alliance in 2019. It once hosted the ASPCA's first behavioral rehabilitation center, but that relocated to North Carolina in 2017.
Does St. Hubert's still handle animal control?
No. It ended its municipal animal-control and stray-housing contracts for 19 towns at the start of 2023.
How much does it cost to adopt?
Dogs run $200 to $500 and cats $100 to $250 by age, including spay or neuter, a microchip, vaccines, and food.
What is the Sister Shelter WayStation?
A transport program that has moved more than 20,000 pets through over 90 partner shelters, from crowded regions to areas where they can be adopted.
Do I need an appointment to adopt?
No. Adoption is walk-in and most pets can go home the same day; transported adult dogs may be available the next day.
Does St. Hubert's have a dog training school?
Yes. It has run one of the largest dog training schools in the country since 1983.

Sources: St. Hubert's Animal Welfare Center (sthuberts.org) adoption and program pages; Humane Rescue Alliance merger announcement; reporting on its 2023 exit from municipal animal control; Charity Navigator and IRS filings (EIN 22-1627726). Retrieved June 2026. We are not affiliated with St. Hubert's Animal Welfare Center and receive no compensation for this listing. Spotted an error? [email protected]

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