About Us
What is the Mission Statement of the Humane Society of Manatee County?
To create a Humane Community where all adoptable dogs and cats live in a responsible, loving environment and to end unnecessary euthanasia in Manatee County.
What is our Community Challenge?
The Humane Society is a No Kill Shelter which means Animals are with us until they find a ‘forever’ home. Whether this takes 2 days or 2 years.
In Manatee County – The Math is Simple
What is Our Goal?
To create a Humane Community where no adoptable dogs and cats are euthanized and every adoptable dog and cat receives the opportunity to live in a responsible, loving environment.
What is a Humane Community?
• A place where every adoptable homeless dog and cat is guaranteed a responsible, permanent, and loving home.
• A place where euthanasia is not an acceptable means of controlling the pet overpopulation.
• A place where community members are engaged in and care about the welfare of companion animals.
How will HSMC achieve a Humane Community?
• By working collaboratively with the SPCA, Manatee County Animal Services and other animal welfare organizations and volunteers to reduce pet overpopulation and promote a pet friendly community.
• By providing low cost, targeted spay/neuter services - increasing the number of dogs and cats sterilized from 3,000 to 10,000 by 2010.
• By doubling the number of dogs and cats adopted in our community from 3,400 to 6,800 by 2010.
• By providing pet retention programs such as behavior assistance that will help owners to keep their pet rather than surrender them to a shelter - decreasing the number of owner surrendered dogs and cats by 30% by 2010.
What is HSMC’s History?
The Humane Society of Manatee County, Inc., was formed in 1970 through the courageous efforts of a small group of dedicated people who took a stand for the humane treatment of animals in Manatee County. Caring people housed the abandoned, sick and injured at their homes and administered around-the-clock care to the sick and newborn.
After years of struggle and never ending fund raising projects, plus the assistance of a couple of "angels," HSMC moved into its current location on Tamiami Trail in November, 1978, exactly ten years after the original conception.
Throughout the past two decades, the shelter has grown to care for more than 230 animals living at the 14th Street shelter, and an additional 650 animals cared for through our foster care program. HSMC adopts close to 200 animals each month, and offers many pet owner support services.
This shelter still stands as a monument to all the volunteers who have given so generously of their time, love and expertise to the animals, thereby relieving the pain and abuse of untold numbers of animals.
Is HSMC a "no kill" facility?
The Humane Society of Manatee County is a no kill shelter which means that an animal stays with us until they find a forever home -- whether it takes 2 days or 2 years or more. Our goal is to place 100 percent of the pets received at our shelter. However, we do have a limited number of animals we can accept into our program due to space constraints. Therefore, we only accept the surrender of owned cats and dogs by appointment only. Each animal that is accepted into our program must go through our admission process.
What is your philosophy?
Our philosophy is that the treatment of animals is a reflection of our community, and therefore, we actively endorse the humane treatment of animals and responsible animal stewardship. The “Humane Community” philosophy is compatible with what we are asking the community to do, in regard to human responsibility towards animals. We refer to this as “walking the walk”.
This idea of responsible pet stewardship is reflected in the management practices implemented here, and are, in fact, responsible ones reflecting excellent animal care in terms of medical treatment, behavioral assessment and modification, sheltering and adoption programs.
What is Saving Lives – Four Paws at a Time?
Our goal is exactly that – Saving Lives Four Paws at a time. Every program and service we offer is to help us save the lives of homeless animals through ourt efforts and by working with others in our community.
What is the Four Paw Plan?
We offer four core programs to save lives:
• Adoption Opportunities and Quality Animal Care
• Spay and neutering programs to prevent overpopulation and stop unwanted litters
• Pet owner support services and pet retention programs Care and emergency help
• Training and education
What is your Relationship with other Animal Care Facilities?
In Manatee County, all the major shelters and rescue groups belong to the Manatee Animal Coalition. We all fully endorse each others' methodologies and the goal to end euthanasia of healthy adoptable pets in our community. HSMC realizes that it does not have the ability or space to accept every animal into our program, and does not judge other organizations that must handle pet overpopulation problems. Instead, we all have pledged to work together to ensure that none of us have to deal with the senseless, useless euthanasia of homeless pets.
