Animal Shelters
The Heart of Our Mission
At the heart of the National Humane Society’s mission is the idea of supporting animal shelters and the volunteers across the country that give time and resources to maintain those individual institutions. Currently there are approximately 13,600 shelters across the country serving an average of 7.6 million pets a year. Roughly 3.9 million of these animals are dogs, and 3.4 of them are cats (ASPCA findings).
Animal shelters receive animals from four major sources:
- owners who can no longer care for their pets
- relatives when an owner has passed away
- stray animals
- humane organizations and animal control agencies
Overpopulation, Safe Sanctuary and Forever Homes
In recent years, average adoption estimates range from 2.7 – 3 million animals, leaving a majority of these animals relatively hopeless. Our aim at the National Humane Society is to fund as many no-kill shelters as possible in order to save the lives of potential pets, and to continue our efforts in funding spay/neuter clinics. Dealing with the overpopulation crisis is a big picture, educational endeavor we are engaging in the national community with, but until real change can be actualized, our hope is to support the mission of shelters across the country, giving rescue pets clean, safe sanctuary until they can find their forever home.
Animal Shelter Registry in the United States
www.animalshelter.org/shelters/states.asp