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| Home > About Us |
As the only animal shelter in the county, the Addison
County Humane Society works hard to meet the needs of a growing and changing
population. Since 1975 we have provided temporary shelter for over 16,000 lost,
abandoned, abused or surrendered animals. Our programs and services meet a wide
array of critical animal welfare needs and we provide them without any county,
state or federal funding.
Also read the ACHS No-Kill FAQ
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About Us
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Adoption, Fostering and Behavior Modification
Since our inception, we have placed an average of 600 animals each year into loving
homes. We serve more animals per resident than nearly any other shelter in the state.
Our shelter is No Kill, meaning we never euthanize animals for space. All animals we
take in, with the exception of those deemed highly aggressive, or very ill, will be
adopted. We maintain a waiting list for animals to be surrendered as well as offer
owners support through our third party adoption program.
We attribute our high adoption rate to a combination of:
- Extensive handling and socialization of shelter animals improving their adoptability
- Follow-up support to adopters including owner education, counseling, and training referrals
- Emergency fostering for people in crisis such as domestic violence or personal health challenges thus allowing animals to ultimately remain with their families
- Strong marketing including extensive web and print advertising, in-store and vet clinic flyers, media relations, adoption events and other community outreach
- A loyal foster community that cares for very young, sick, or injured animals or animals in need of socialization (these volunteers extend our capacity by nearly 30% each year)
- Emergency funding for low-income adopters who need financial assistance for unexpected veterinary costs.
All these elements were designed to improve the adoptability of our animals including special needs animals and to ensure lifelong matches.
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Aggressive Spay/Neuter
In addition to sheltering and adoption, ACHS spays or neuters over 400 dogs and cats every
year including all adopted animals old enough for the procedure and aggressive follow-up
for those too young when they leave us. This year we are actively supporting implementation
of the state’s first spay/neuter program for companion animals of low-income residents.
This will allow us to address unwanted litters outside the reach of our shelter
population.
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Leadership in Humane Law Enforcement
ACHS has played the leadership role in county humane law enforcement fielding over 400
cruelty reports over the past five years. ACHS regularly hosts law enforcement trainings
and in 2004 launched the Addison County Anti-Cruelty Coalition (which serves as a model
for the state). The coalition brings together law enforcement agencies, animal control
officers, humane officers, vets, rescue organizations and government officials to
strengthen the effectiveness of humane enforcement and facilitate aggressive prosecution
of offenders throughout the county.
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Other ACHS Programs and Initiatives
Humane Education and Outreach
Each year ACHS hosts and visits hundreds of area school children in addition to providing
volunteer opportunities for school-age youth.
Lost and Found Services and low cost micro-chipping
Over the past year ACHS has reunited dozens of best friends. In an effort to facilitate
the reunions and increase efficiency, ACHS offers micro-chipping for only $20 per
animal---a below market rate.
Feral Cat Program (trapping, vaccinating, neutering, and return)
ACHS has launched a program designed to assist farmers and others who willingly house
feral cats in barns and other outbuildings. This program is being developed to humanely
reduce the feral cat population as well as provide basic health care for this largely
overlooked community. Through this program we trap the cats, vet them (including
immunizations, spay/neuter, and other treatments where possible) and then return them
back into their "colony" with a caretaker. With hundreds of feral cats in Addison County,
these cats spread disease, contribute to animal suffering through untreated sickness,
injury, malnutrition and inadequate shelter and increase cat overpopulation.
Emergency Foster Care for People In Need
ACHS works with other area service agencies to provide short-term care for companion
animals of people in crisis such as domestic violence. We place their animals in our
foster network so they can make important and sometimes life saving decisions without
worrying about the safety of their pets.
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Volunteers Are Key to Our Success
ACHS could not survive without our extensive and in some cases highly trained volunteer
base. They provide nearly 30% of all labor required to run the shelter, develop special
events and facilitate adoptions. We feel that this is a testament to their confidence
in our organization as well as a reflection of their passion for animals and their needs.
With a full-time staff of only 2, the animals and people of Addison County are incredibly
grateful for this volunteer support.
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