Animal Shelter of the Week

Second Chance Canine Adoption Shelter started with a dream of former Onondaga County Executive, Joanie Mahoney. Over five years ago, former County Executive Mahoney began the process of working on a large project that would bring together inmates and homeless dogs. She configured a team of community leaders that would help see this vision come to light. The brilliant idea of pairing up inmates with shelter dogs was a sure way to give second chances to both the inmates and the dogs! Upon the end of the dog's training, they are placed up for adoption. Since opening in 2015, over 400 dogs have been adopted and 140 inmates have gone through the program!

Founded in 1983, the Ohlone Humane Society is an animal welfare nonprofit that advocates for all creatures, from urban wildlife to companion animals and serves the communities of Fremont, Newark and Union City. While OHS doesn’t operate a shelter, they are one of the few humane societies to maintain a wildlife rehabilitation center which helps more than 500 sick, orphaned, and injured animals each year. OHS operates distinct programs that range from pet fostering and adoption to spay-neuter assistance to animal-assisted therapy.

Companion Animal Alliance is a nonprofit organization that was formed in 2010 to increase the save rate of animals in our community. In partnership with the EastBaton Rouge City-Parish, CAA operates the EBR Parish open-intake shelter, caring for over 8,000animals each year including cats, dogs, horses, wildlife, andexotic animals. CAA has increased the save rate of animals to 77% annually from 20% in 2011.

Good Shepherd Humane Society is a private shelter located in deep in the Arkansas Ozarks. It serves the Carroll County area, including Berryville, Green Forest, and Eureka Springs. Founded in the 70s it is the only "legacy" animal welfare organization in the area. Good Shepherd operates as a no-kill facility. They also provide low-cost spay and neuter services and are working hard on outreach and shelter diversion.

Since 1939, the Santa Fe Animal Shelter (SFAS), a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, supported mostly through public donations, has been dedicated to its mission: support animals, save lives, and spread compassion. They are northern New Mexico's largest open-admission, no-kill shelter. SFAS focuses on accessible spay and neuter programs, creative adoption efforts, and over a dozen community programs and initiatives. Located on a 100-acre campus complete with walking trails and play yards for daily enrichment for our shelter residents, SFAS also provides to the public; single and multi-use dog parks, training classes, and the Thaw Animal Hospital, a full-service veterinary clinic that offers affordable, high-quality veterinary services. The Santa Fe Animal Shelter was built by this community, for the community – a place to find joy with the animals. Today, tomorrow and always.

The Sheridan Dog and Cat Shelter is what they like to call the "Home in Between Homes" for animals that find their way to their shelter. They are non-judgmental about surrenders because they know life can and does throw curveballs. They have an amazing facility where every dog and cat gets outdoor time everyday. They have volunteers that walk every dog everyday. They have a Senior Dog Project, A Low Cost Spay / Neuter Certificate program, and a newly established Stray to Service Program that places trained service dogs (formerly strays) into the hands of Veterans in need of a Service Dog.

Founded in 1994, the Humane Society began as a group of dedicated individuals committed to saving animal lives in Morgan County. Moving into their adoption center in 2014 has allowed the HSMC to save even more lives. The HSMC adopts more than 400 dogs and cats into loving homes every year. With their dedicated staff, caring volunteers, and the support of people like you, they hope to continue to improve the lives of animals. The Humane Society of Morgan County’s mission is to save more animal's lives by promoting adoptions of healthy, friendly companion animals obtained from overcrowded animal control facilities and owner surrenders. Their goal is to provide the highest quality care and compassion to the animals entrusted into our care until such time as they are adopted. It is also their mission to measurably reduce the pet overpopulation numbers through the promotion of spay/neuter programs and community education. In 2019 they helped 432 animals find their fur-ever homes! They have the capacity to house 80 animals and they usually stay right below capacity. They average about 36 adoptions a month and intake about 35 animals a month. They are blessed to be in such a supportive community!

Edgewater Animal Shelter serves the City of Edgewater, FL. They are 501(c)(3) and all donations are tax-deductible as allowed by law. They take in unwanted and stray pets from the City of Edgewater and try and find loving homes for those that are able to be adopted. The shelter also provides wellness services to the public. This includes low-cost spay and neuter, vaccinations, microchips, and flea and heartworm medications with a vet exam or prescription from your veterinarian. The shelter has an in-house groomer providing a full array of grooming services available by appointment. They participate in the Edgewater, New Smyrna Beach and Oak Hill TNR programs, providing spay and neutering services to feral cats.

Champaign County Humane Society is an independent non-profit organization and the only open-admission animal shelter & pet adoption facility in Champaign County IL. They are funded entirely through charitable donations and enjoy the support of a generous community! They have many volunteers (including foster homes) who help them provide excellent quality of life to the animals in their care. In addition to providing shelter and medical care to homeless animals and finding them new homes, they are committed to addressing the causes of pet homelessness through education and outreach programs.

The Arizona Humane Society (AHS) was founded in 1957 by a small group of compassionate volunteers. Today, it is one of the largest nonprofit shelters in the country. AHS is the safety net for the Valley's most vulnerable pets - the sick, injured and abused homeless pets - many of whom are rescued by AHS' FieldRescue Team and then treated in AHS' Second Chance Animal Trauma Hospital. In fact, two out of every three of the nearly 18,000 pets that AHS takes in, are treated in the trauma hospital. AHS' comprehensive medical, behavioral rehabilitation, surrender intervention, and spay/neuter initiatives saved an additional 100,000 lives over the last six years. Lifesaving programs such as the trauma hospital, Mutternity Suites, Kitten Nursery, Bottle Baby Kitten ICU and Parvo PuppyICU has saved the lives of pets routinely euthanized in shelters. In addition, AHS follows an Ethical No-Kill Philosophy and never euthanizes a pet for space or length of time in the shelter. AHS is also committed to keeping pets in homes with their loving owners through AHS' Pet Resource Center and veterinary clinics, both of which allow AHS to connect pet owners with affordable medical, behavior and support services. Of course, AHS could not care for the Valley's sick, injured and abused homeless pets without the support and collaboration of their partners, Foster Heroes, volunteers, donors and pet lovers across Maricopa County.

As Kauai's only open-intake animal welfare organization they work hand-in-hand with their community to foster respect, responsibility, and compassion for all animals. They have several programs to enrich the lives of their animals including their shelter dogs on field trips, volunteer dog walkers, cat socializers and more. The Kauai Humane Society also partners with several shelters on the mainland in their transfer program. This enables them to reach more adopters and find forever home for the animals.

LPHS is the best keep secret in Wyoming. The shelter takes in impounds, strays and surrenders and their goal is to treat them as their own until they find them homes! They have a county wide TNR program and offer county residents spay and neuter vouchers. Rescued is their favorite breed! The Laramie Peak Humane Society is committed to the health and welfare of all animals, and the active pursuit of a loving forever home for every set of paws that enters their care. Hundreds of displaced animals come through their doors each year and it takes a lot of time, rehabilitation and veterinary care to place them into new homes. With such great support from the community of Converse County and surrounding areas, their dedicated staff and terrific volunteer base, they are able to provide a safe temporary home for displaced animals in their community. Laramie Peak Humane Society is more than a traditional animal shelter. In addition to sheltering displaced pets, they offer a number of programs and services to educate, inform, and inspire people to take responsible care of their pets and to treat them with the kindness they deserve. Together, they are creating a better community for all.

Jackson Friends of the Animal Shelter is a non-profit 501(c)(3) all-volunteer animal welfare group that works in tandem with the City of Jackson (Mississippi) Animal Shelter to find permanent loving homes for the adoption animals, to enhance the quality of life for the shelter animals and to provide spay/neuter services. It's a group of volunteers who help the critters and was organized in 1995 to help the City of Jackson build a new city animal shelter. The group worked with former mayor Harvey Johnson and city leaders for years to develop the plan. The old building was located on Jefferson Street and was quite deplorable. The goal was accomplished in 2006 with the construction of a new facility at 140 Outer Drive in Jackson near Hawkins Field. After the construction of the new shelter, the mission of Jackson Friends changed to become the adoption partner with the city.

Forest County Humane Society has been in existence for 25 years. Their mission continues to be the "Shelter from the Storm" a safe haven for companion animals, providing food, medical care, and human tenderness. To continue to enrich the lives of animals, families, and communities through adoption services, education, and by always taking a firm stand against animal cruelty. They try to give every dog training in basic obedience so that when they are placed in a home they will have basic manners that will make it easier on the dog and adopters. They work hard to give every dog a play partner, so they are more adaptable to multi-dog families and it provides more time and plays while they are staying with them. They reunite lost pets with their families or adopt out over 200 dogs and 150 cats per year. They are an open enrollment no-kill shelter and every animal is loved and cared for by all of them.

The Stone County Humane Society (SCHS) was started by a group of newcomers to Mountain View, Arkansas, Stone County in 1999. This rural area had no leash laws or spay and neuter requirements for animals, so the county was overrun with unwanted, neglected dogs and cats. This group formed with the goal of building a shelter someday and to educate the community on animal care and spay neuter.

The Humane Society of Independence County in Batesville Arkansas is a growing shelter looking to make a difference in their community. Their goal is to rescue and provide a safe shelter for abandoned, abused, homeless, and unwanted dogs and cats within the county; and also secure loving, stable homes for them. A community goal is to reduce the unwanted pet population by encouraging the spaying and neutering of all dogs and cats through education and awareness.

Welcome to the ARPA Animal Shelter of the Week podcast where we introduce you to incredible organizations around the country that are focused on helping animals. We’re proud to be sponsored by Doobert.com. Doobert is a free website designed to connect volunteers with rescues and shelters, and the only site that automates rescue relay transport. Let’s meet this week’s featured animal shelter.

The Kentucky Humane Society (KHS), located in Louisville, KY, is a private, nonprofit organization that is Kentucky's largest pet adoption agency. KHS is also the state's oldest animal welfare organization, founded in 1884. KHS adopts out over 6,500 dogs, cats, and horses every year.

Lee County Humane Society is a 501(c)(3) organization located in Auburn, AL. LCHS is an open-admissions shelter that serves the cities of Auburn and Opelika. The shelter takes in about 3000 animals every year and maintains a 94% live release rate for 2019. Lee County Humane Society is responsible for fundraising about 60% of its annual budget. LCHS offers low-cost spay/neuter programs, a Jog-a-Dog program, a pet food pantry, and a multitude of events for the community throughout the year.

As the leading animal welfare organization in California’s Central Valley, they are committed to leading and serving the community of animals and people by providing programs and services which serve all the stages of an animal’s life. These programs include Adoptions, Rescue, Foster Care, Owner Surrenders, Outreach, Humane Education, Veterinary Services, Spay/Neuter programs, and Pet Services.

The Tuthill Family Pet Rescue & Resource Center operated by Hinsdale Humane Society is a nonprofit animal shelter providing innovative care and adoption services for all animals, including those that are harder to place. They educate, advocate and adopt out pets while acting as a voice for animals who depend on people for their care. They nurture the human-animal bond through community outreach and progressive programming, to help ensure the compassionate treatment of all animals.

IndyHumane is a leading voice for the welfare of animals and improving their quality of life. IndyHumane provides direct services for shelter cats and dogs, including adoption, foster home placement, positive reinforcement behavior training for adoptable animals, appropriate medical care, and affordable spay/neuter services. As the voice for the animals, IndyHumane brings together like-minded, animal-focused individuals and groups to educate the public about animal welfare issues and concerns. For more than 110 years, it’s all about the animals.

Madison County Animal Care and Control have the responsibility of enforcing licensing laws and regulations that are applicable to the animal control program. Animal Control does much more than rescuing abandoned animals but they offer second chances to the animals they come in contact with. They also assist in transporting animals to other states as well as rescue opportunities through local shelters. Save rates for these animals today is 90% or better.

The Humane Society of Greater Kansas City was founded in 1912 and became the first no-kill shelter in the area in 1994. Their low-cost spay and neuter and veterinary care clinic save and improve the lives of thousands of animals every year. They provide much-needed care and services for the animals in their community-- and their work is never done. The staff and volunteers at the shelter will continue to show compassion to the animals and provide for them to ensure they are ready for their new potential families.

The Peninsula Regional Animal Shelter (PRAS) is a collaborative venture supported by four separate Hampton Roads communities: Newport News, Hampton, Poquoson, and York County. This "open-admission" shelter contains a full-service veterinary clinic for the shelter animals as well as the animal control offices. The mission at PRAS is to rehome the needy, reunite the lost and reeducate when needed.

Founded in 1949, the Humane Society of the Pikes Peak Region is the largest animal welfare group for homeless and abused animals in Southern Colorado. Their mission is to create a compassionate community where animals and people are cared for and valued. Passionate and dedicated staff care for animals in distress, provide medical care for abused and injured animals, reunite lost pets with their owners, find loving homes for homeless animals, and investigate animal cruelty and enforce animal ordinances.

The Foothills Animal Shelter was founded in 1976 as the Jefferson Animal Shelter. Being an open admission shelter, they care for more than 12,000 animals annually. The FAS values honesty and integrity in all that they do, Stewardship, Positive Culture, Openness, and Team-Oriented are what this shelter values most. The staff and volunteer’s mission is to provide support to surrounding communities through education, services that strengthen the human-pet bond, and humane care for the animals they serve.

The New Hampshire SPCA is a community resource bringing animals and people together. They provide adoption, education, investigation and sheltering services in a professional and compassionate way. The staff and volunteers work tirelessly to provide the best possible care for the animals they take in as well as providing educational programs for the people of their community. This shelter’s Adoption Center receives nearly 2,500 unwanted, neglected or abused animals from the region each year. They provide each one with a warm bed, medical care, nutritious food and the time it takes to place them in a new loving home.

A community-funded, nonprofit 501(c)3 organization, Pope Memorial Humane Society (PMHS), is dedicated to promoting the humane treatment of animals in Strafford County, NH and Southern Maine. They provide a safe, temporary home for more than 1,000 surrendered, lost, abused, neglected, or unwanted animals each year. The PMHS works with partners throughout the country to rescue animals that would otherwise be euthanized, working hard to find each and every one of them a forever home with a loving family.

The Shelby Humane is a non-profit organization founded in 1977 with the mission of rescuing and rehoming the neglected and homeless pets of Shelby County. They house 200-350 adoptable pets at any given time in the shelter but also have other adoptable pets that need extra support and care in the shelter’s foster care program. They are continually striving to grow the services they provide and rescue as many adoptable pets as possible.

The Humane Society of West Michigan opened its doors way back in 1883 by a group of citizens with the same concerns for animal welfare. This organization has a vision to build a healthy, safe, and compassionate community where all animals receive the care they deserve. With a dedicated staff of over 45 employees they stand by their mission to promote the humane treatment and responsible care of animals in West Michigan through education, example, placement and protection.

Caring Hands Humane Society is a non-profit, private organization dedicated to helping companion animals and the people who love them. They are dedicated to finding good, loving homes for the animals they take in while providing the best animal care to get them back on their feet. The mission at Caring Hands is simple, to relieve animal suffering and to prevent cruelty to animals.

The Pulaski County Animal Shelter takes animal rescue very seriously. They work with their county’s Animal Control Officers to save abused and neglected animals but they don't stop there. Volunteers and staff do their best to give these animals a second chance at life by hosting adoption events at local businesses and even applying for grants to help their spay and neuter programs in efforts to end overpopulation.

The Humane Society of Dickson County was founded 30 years ago during a time of desperate need. In shelters across the country, millions of animals were dying, and in rural communities with no local solution for unwanted pets, the situation was dire. A grassroots movement in Dickson County, Tennessee, quickly grew, and the HSDC was established with a progressive mission: Educate the public about the importance of spay/neuter and ensure every dog and cat has a safe home.

The Pearl River County SPCA is a non-profit organization dedicated to the care and welfare of animals through various programs and services to the Community of Pearl River County as a whole. Their organization strives to be the model provider of animal-related services to the community. They have many volunteer opportunities including volunteering at the shelter, volunteering at events such as weekend adoption events, and foster home volunteering.

The Bangor Humane Society champions the humane treatment and adoption of companion animals, provides quality care for homeless pets, and promotes animal welfare through education and advocacy. They strive to facilitate the human-animal bond by re-homing and rehabilitating homeless pets with humans through pet adoption. As the world of animal welfare continues to evolve, the staff at BHS are committed to adapting and changing with it so they can continue to be a vital part of the community in which they operate.

The Animal Adoption Center (AAC) is dedicated to saving the lives of homeless animals through rescue, adoption, education and spay/neuter. Founded in 2004, the AAC is a nonprofit organization located in downtown Jackson, Wyoming. Their highly visible location promotes excellent community interaction with their animals and programs. Visitors are greeted by happy, tail-wagging dogs and friendly purring cats.

Saving Grace is a non-profit, 501(c)(3) organization in North Carolina dedicated to helping homeless animals in the community find permanent, loving homes where they will be treated as family members for the rest of their lives. All dogs that come in get a microchip which can be traced back to the adopter and to Saving Grace. While at Saving Grace, dogs are crate trained and begin a housebreaking routine.  They also learn basic manners such as walking nicely on a leash, how to sit, and not to jump on people.

The Maui Humane Society’s mission is to protect and save the lives of Maui’s animals. They accept all in need, educate the community, and inspire respect and compassion towards all animals. They work diligently to find new forever homes for homeless animals and to help people find ways to keep the animals they love in their homes. They envision the day when every animal in Maui will have a loving home, and they dedicate themselves to protect and nourish the human-animal bond in which they feel makes for a better and kinder society.

Panhandle Animal Shelter serves North Idaho in their mission to create and support meaningful connections by enhancing the lives of dogs, cats, and the people in their community who love them. They created the Home To Home network to reduce owner surrenders to shelters and to empower owners to re-home their pets.

The Rockingham County Animal Shelter opened on May 21, 2011. This was the County’s first official shelter and quickly filled with close to 6,000 animals in their first year.  This shelter looks forward to its future and growth of adoptions, return to owners, and to other programs to help the citizens and animals of Rockingham County. 

Connecticut Cat Connection estimates that on average they helping over 500 cats each year with the help of their volunteers. This is a tremendous success, however, it comes with much effort and with high financial costs, including high medical expenses associated with a no-kill policy. In 2015, they moved to their new adoption center, which gives them hope to expand in the future and will allow them to keep growing and helping more animals and to better support their community. Listen and learn what their future holds and see how you can help!

The Humane Society of Western Montana does a wonderful job caring for the animals in their shelter, boasting a 98% adoption rate. There are 3 components to their adoption program - Seniors for Seniors, Buddy Adoptions and Headed Home Reservation.  They also have a wonderful foster program called “H.O.P.E Foster” and each animal that enters their facility receives the necessary medical and behavioral evaluation prior to being adopted out.

Burlington Animal Services is committed to ensuring the health, safety, and welfare of people and pets in their community through their commitment to public service, active enforcement of state and local laws, providing humane animal care, promoting responsible pet ownership and addressing pet overpopulation in Alamance County.  The staff has done an amazing job of expanding their foster program, improving their isolation and quarantine protocols, and increasing spay and neuter compliance of the community.

West Feliciana Animal Humane Society in Louisiana has a unique working partnership with the Sheriff’s Department, the parish government and the Animal Shelter. They work together towards one common goal - saving lives & building relationships. The team at WFAHS provides a safe, healthy and caring environment for all animals in their care & their adoption rate is over 93%! Without the help of everyone in their community, they wouldn’t be able to do what they do.

Peaceful Animal Adoption Shelter (PAAS) funds their programs and daily operations from private donations as well as grants from visionary philanthropic partners including the WaterShed Animal Fund, PetSmart Charities, ASPCA, The Flint Family Foundation, The Cresap Family Foundation, and others. PAAS occupies a key position in an effective network of regional animal welfare organizations.

The staff at Animal Shelter Inc. of Sterling, Massachusetts is dedicated to finding good homes for adoptable pets and they promote responsible pet ownership to improve the quality of life for the animals and people in their community. The shelter is supported entirely by donations from private individuals and through surrender and adoption fees. They are a family friendly shelter with progressive programs that improve lives by raising the bar for animal care in the shelter and their community.

The Chico Animal Shelter started their own adoption program where they choose to save all the lives of animals that come in, even those with medical or behavioral issues. Their adoption and medical programs are funded solely through donations and not out of the city’s funds. These programs include spay/neuter and overall care for animals that come into the shelter. Of all the animals that passed through their care, they had a 78.67% live release rate, 9.73% euthanized (5.58% were owner requests), and 8.83% were carried over (2.77% died).

The CHS envisions a Connecticut where each companion animal finds a permanent, compassionate home, where communities are enriched by the special bond between people and animals, and where animal cruelty no longer exists. Their actions and decisions are based on providing the best medical and shelter care, and services to the most animals. They respect the life of each individual animal while focusing on the welfare of staff, community, and the animal population as well. The general public, the staff members and volunteers are all viewed as their partners in improving animal welfare and in fulfilling their mission.

The Oregon Humane Society just celebrated its 150th birthday. They are not only helping the animals in Portland but reaching out to surrounding communities and states. Always looking for ways to innovate their existing programs and learn from the communities within Portland. Their volunteers and employees feel empowered to provide feedback and ideas and they work together as a team. Making everyone feel a part of the team is crucial for them and they couldn’t survive without the wonderful support from those around them.

Allen County SPCA places thousands of dogs and cats into forever homes each year & offer a number of programs that benefit the animals in their care and for the pet lovers of Fort Wayne, IN. One of their programs is Pet Promises which focuses on keeping pets with the people who love them. Listen in and learn more and see how you can support them today!