Most Humane Societies began as organizations devoted to the prevention of cruelty of animals (and children, in some cases), and many were started in response to public cruelty to draft and farm animals. However, many people think of their local Humane Society as an animal shelter where they can find a homeless dog or cat to adopt, or where they can bring an animal they can no longer keep.
Many Humane Societies contract with their local governments to shelter the stray dogs and cats in the communityl. Other Humane Societies have chosen to handle only animals released by their owners, in order to avoid local government regulations and rules that may go against their own philosophy.
What this often means is that your local Humane Society is not the only place to find a dog or cat to adopt. There are also animal control shelters, private shelters, and breed rescue groups.
This page is devoted to helping you find your local Humane Society shelter. Most of these websites give you pictures and descriptions of their dogs and cats, so you can see if they have the dog or cat you're looking for. However, most websites are not kept up-to-date, so there may be more dogs available for adoption than you see in the pictures. And the picture you fall in love with may already be adopted by someone else. Please call ahead if you want to avoid disapointment.
It is quite interesting to look at the dogs available in different localities. You'll notice that large dogs tend to be available in urban shelters, while smaller, pet-sized dogs are often available in rural shelters. Some humane societies do not allow adoptions out of the area, but many do. Be sure to call ahead to make sure.
If you're interested in animal cruelty issues, be sure to visit the website for The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.
While many Humane Societies have webpages, there are others that don't. We list only the shelters that can be visited online. If you don't see your local shelter listed, please visit it in person, or give them a call. They'll be listed in the phone book.
Please click on one of the following links to go to a list of your state's Humane Society Shelters:
Alabama Humane Society Shelters
Alaska Humane Society Shelters
Arizona Humane Society Shelters
Arkansas Humane Society Shelters
California Humane Society Shelters
Colorado Humane Society Shelters
Connecticut Humane Society Shelters
Delaware Humane Society Shelters
District of Columbia Humane Society Shelters
Florida Humane Society Shelters
Georgia Humane Society Shelters
Hawaii Humane Society Shelters
Illinois Humane Society Shelters
Indiana Humane Society Shelters
Kansas Humane Society Shelters
Kentucky Humane Society Shelters
Louisiana Humane Society Shelters
Maryland Humane Society Shelters
Massachusetts Humane Society Shelters
Michigan Humane Society Shelters
Minnesota Humane Society Shelters
Mississippi Humane Society Shelters
Missouri Humane Society Shelters
Montana Humane Society Shelters
Nebraska Humane Society Shelters
Nevada Humane Society Shelters
New Hampshire Humane Society Shelters
New Jersey Humane Society Shelters
New Mexico Humane Society Shelters
New York Humane Society Shelters
North Carolina Humane Society Shelters
North Dakota Humane Society Shelters
Oklahoma Humane Society Shelters
Oregon Humane Society Shelters
Pennsylvania Humane Society Shelters
Rhode Island Humane Society Shelters
South Carolina Humane Society Shelters
South Dakota Humane Society Shelters
Tennessee Humane Society Shelters
Vermont Humane Society Shelters
Virginia Humane Society Shelters
Washington Humane Society Shelters
West Virginia Humane Society Shelters
Wisconsin Humane Society Shelters
Wyoming Humane Society Shelters