Lakes Area Humane Society Inc

Help Us, Help Them!

The Lakes Area Humane Society is a 501(c) 3 non-profit organization, which was formed in 1989 by a group of concerned citizens. These citizens wished to make a difference for the animals in our community and opened their homes to foster stray and unwanted animals. To help define their purpose, these dedicated people created a mission statement. The statement reads: “The mission of the Lakes Area Humane Society is to promote responsible care and training for household pets through education and public awareness, and when appropriate, to provide a safe and sheltering haven for lost and abandoned animals pending placement in suitable permanent homes.”  

For ten years this group cared for and adopted nearly 600 animals, always keeping their mission in mind.  In addition, they had a vision for the future. That vision was to build an animal shelter that would house stray or unwanted animals in one central location where individuals could see and interact with animals waiting to be adopted. In July of 1999 they achieved their goal due to the generosity of the businesses and people in our community. A shelter was built and was open to the public. Since that time, the Lakes Area Humane Society has provided a safe and sheltering haven for over 19,000 animals that have been lost or abandoned.

The Lakes Area Humane Society provides many valuable services to our community. Some of our services include:

 Ø impounding strays,

Ø assisting local law enforcement in abuse/neglect investigations,

Ø educating the public on spay/neuter programs to help reduce the number of unwanted pets,

Ø teaching the importance of appropriate pet care and training,

Ø providing shelter for animals whose owners are no longer able to care for them,

Ø reuniting lost pets with their owners, and

Ø facilitating adoptions of homeless animals to pet owners seeking life-long companions.

 The organization is lead by a passionate Board of Directors and Staff.   In addition, to impounding, adoption and surrender fees, over 68 percent of the shelter’s income comes from donations and fundraising events. This year alone, the cost to maintain the shelter and care for the animals will exceed $260,000. Support from both community businesses and individuals continue to be an essential part of our ability to continue to fulfill our mission.

All incoming animals are evaluated for adoptability. The animals that are available for adoption are health checked, vaccinated and spay or neutered. In addition, all adult dogs are tested for the Heartworm, Lyme, Anaplasmosis and Ehrlichiosis diseases and all cats and kittens have been tested for the Feline Leukemia and Feline Immunodeficiency Viruses prior to adoption.

"Saving one animal won’t change the world, but it will change the world for that one animal."