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We're dedicated
to saving lives.
featured pets
Goals
Project Humane will achieve seven key outcomes:
Save More Lives
Since January of 2010, Animal Humane has successfully adopted 100% of the healthy pets in our care. This includes some pets that came to us with treatable conditions that we were able to return to health through our expert Veterinary and Behavioral Teams. In 2011, our euthanasia rate reached an all-time low and we were able to save and rehome 90% of the more than 5,300 pets that entered our care. Sadly, 40% of the animals that were euthanized in 2011 were deemed treatable. The majority were puppies and kittens with ringworm and dogs that became behaviorally unstable due to the stress of living in our kennels. We need your help to save 100% of the healthy and treatable pets in our care by creating quarantine facilities and better housing.
Provide Healthy, Respectful Housing for Every Pet
Another key goal is to bring our facility into compliance with the latest recommendations from UC Davis Koret Shelter Medicine Program 2010 "Facility Design and Animal Housing Guidelines" and Association of Shelter Veterinarians 2010 "Guidelines for Standards of Care in Animal Shelters." We aspire to provide housing that is safe, calm and promotes or restores health; whether a pet has just entered our campus, is in isolation for illness or is available for adoption. Currently the only facility that meets these standards is our Robbie Jones Memorial Cat House. Following these guidelines will provide humane housing that meets the goals of providing all animals the "Five Freedoms:"
- Freedom from Thirst and Hunger by ready access to fresh water and a diet to maintain full health and vigor.
- Freedom from Discomfort by providing an appropriate environment including shelter and a comfortable resting area.
- Freedom from Pain, Injury, and Disease by prevention or rapid diagnosis and treatment.
- Freedom to Express Normal Behavior by providing sufficient space, proper facilities and company of the animal's own kind.
- Freedom from Fear and Distress by ensuring conditions and treatment which avoid mental suffering.
Separate Going Home from Losing My Home Areas
We will physically separate our admission and adoptions services into two buildings. The admission process is an emotional, stressful and often traumatic experience, while adopting a new pet is a happy and hopeful one. Currently, these two services share the same cramped building. Creating a positive customer experience for both client groups has been very difficult when they must share the same space.
Increase Efficiency in Caring for the Pets We Serve
Our facilities have been developed over four decades without the benefit of a Master Plan. Our campus is confusing to navigate, is stressful for our pet residents as they are moved from building to building and is highly inefficient for our Animal Care and Veterinary Teams. Frequent changes in housing lead to stress for animals, which in turn increases their vulnerability to illness. Project Humane will reorganize our campus and will provide our pets with life-enhancing environments while increasing our team's efficiency.
Create Ample Space for Learn Humane Outreach Programs
Our Humane Education Outreach Program has grown significantly over the years. While many classes are held on school campuses, we also host many community and school tours. We have only one large meeting room available to accomodate staff and volunteer functions along with training and education classes. Scheduling this single shared space proves difficult. Having an additional large multi-use room will enable us to offer more humane education K-12 classes and special training programs on our campus.
Expand our Clinic to Meet Demands
Animal Humane's Donor-subsidized Veterinary Clinic has been operational since 2007. Our Clinic's mission is to provide quality, low-cost veterinary services to qualified low-income pet 
owners to keep pets and owners together. Our goal is to reduce owner surrenders and requested euthanasia when owners cannot afford the high cost of private veterinary care. Currently, we have to turn away clients because we do not have adequate quarantine facilities to treat contagious pets. Project Humane will expand our Clinic allowing us to create a parvo ward, a canine ringworm treatment area and a larger feline treatment ward—saving more lives.
Build Adequate Work Space for Our Staff and Volunteers
Our programs and services have grown dramatically over the past five years and so has our staff. We have outgrown our current office and meeting space. Bathrooms have been converted to offices, while some offices are time-shared. To avoid staff burnout, we need more space where our staff can think clearly and work effectively on behalf of the homeless pets we serve. Our current administrative offices will be relocated on our campus to create a new Volunteer Center to accommodate the recruitment and management of our growing (400+) volunteer base.
