Blue Earth Nicollet County Humane Society

BENCHS

Protect🐾Rescue🐾 Adopt🐾Repeat

Your Gift Gives Animals a Second Chance

Since 1974, Blue Earth Nicollet County Humane Society (BENCHS) has been giving homeless cats and dogs a second chance. As an independent, local 501(c)(3) nonprofit in Mankato, Minnesota, we are proud to be a No-Kill Shelter dedicated to providing compassionate care and finding loving homes for animals in need. Every animal has a story. 

Every Animal Deserves a Chance

In 2025, 732 animals came through our doors—505 cats and 227 dogs. We expect to care for just as many, if not more, in 2026.

From the moment an animal arrives, our dedicated staff, veterinary partners, and volunteers provide the medical attention, daily care, comfort, and kindness they need to heal and thrive. And when they're ready for adoption, we take special care to find the right match. Our greatest hope is that every animal leaving BENCHS is going home for good.

More Than a Shelter

Sometimes, helping animals means helping the people who love them. BENCHS supports families facing financial hardship, illness, homelessness, domestic abuse, and other difficult circumstances. Whenever possible, we help families find ways to keep their beloved pets rather than surrender them.

Our pet food-share program has already helped more than 300 families across southern Minnesota, keeping pets fed, families together, and shelter space available for animals with nowhere else to go.

Every time BENCHS answers a call, reunites a lost pet, welcomes a surrender, or provides food through our pantry, we’re making a difference — for one animal, one person, and one community at a time. With your help, we can give more of those stories a happy ending. 

When Animals Need Us Most

Animal rescue can bring unexpected challenges, and 2026 has been no exception.

Our team cared for 12 kittens battling ringworm, providing weeks of medication, treatments, isolation, and careful monitoring.

At the same time, 11 puppies were fighting parvovirus, a life-threatening disease. For 30 days, our staff, veterinary team, and volunteers worked tirelessly to provide treatment, comfort, and around-the-clock care. Sadly, we lost two precious puppies. But thanks to extraordinary dedication, nine survived and are now thriving in loving homes.

These are the moments when your support means everything. Emergency medical care is costly, exhausting, and unpredictable. But when an animal's life is on the line, waiting isn't an option. Your generosity makes it possible for BENCHS to be there when animals need us most.

Your Gift Makes a Difference Every Day

Caring for hundreds of animals takes more than kennel space. It takes nutritious food, veterinary care, medications, cleaning supplies, skilled staff, and plenty of patience and love. Even when kennels are available, we can only welcome as many animals as we have the resources to care for responsibly.

Your donation helps keep our doors open, our services available, and our team ready to help the next animal in need.

Building a Better Future

We have big dreams for BENCHS and the animals and families who depend on us. With dependable funding, we hope to:

🐾 Help families afford spay and neuter services. 

🐾 Support domestic-abuse victims who need help keeping their pets safe. 

🐾 Assist with county stray dogs and cats who currently have little or no dedicated funding.  

🐾 Strengthen pet-retention programs so fewer animals need to enter the shelter.

Our shelter building is also showing its age. A new HVAC system, plumbing repairs, and upgrades to dog kennels and cat condos are among the important improvements needed to keep our animals safe and comfortable.

We are grateful for the wonderful community that supports our fundraisers, bake sales, and donation drives. But with the rising costs of veterinary care, food, medications, and staffing, these events alone cannot meet the growing need.

Your gift helps us care for the animals here today while preparing for those who will need us tomorrow.

Be Part of Our Next Chapter

Your Give to the Max donation could mean vaccinations for a kitten, lifesaving treatment for a sick puppy, food for a family struggling to care for their pet, or a warm, safe place for an animal who has nowhere else to go.

Our goal this year is $100,000, and every gift brings us closer. Whether you give $5 or $5,000, you become part of something special—a community of people who believe every animal deserves kindness, compassion, and a chance to be loved.

Please give to BENCHS today. Together, we can give more animals the second chances they deserve.

Your Help = Their Hope!

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