Humane Society of the Nature Coast

The Humane Society has served our community for over 50 years. We are a no-time limit care center that rescues, rehabilitates and re-homes abandoned pets. Our emphasis is on education, spay/neuter programs and abuse prevention. We visit nursing homes and ALF’s weekly with our shelter animals to provide pet therapy and companionship to the residents. We visit school classrooms, both public and private to educate children on pet responsibility and animal safety. We take a pet when allowed and urge strong class participation. Emphasis is given to reading for further pet information and tours to the shelter are offered. At risk children are invited to the shelter weekly for volunteer work and pet socialization. This is a valuable time for each of us, as recently reported by the St Petersburg Times. Children are learning the rewards and results of community service and responsible behavior. For many of them, the animal offers a safe bond that they may not have anywhere else. This is also an educational session and further reading is encouraged. The shelter offers community service hours to convicted offenders of non-violent crimes of the Hernando County Court system. While this is a benefit to the shelter in volunteers, we have found that it has given personal direction to many of those who have learned the value of service and been able to visibly see the difference they can make in their community. We provide community service opportunities for high school student needing credit hours to further their education. While they enjoy the interaction with our pets, they leave with knowledge of animal care, personal responsibility and the value of community service. We rescue pets in cooperation with Hernando County Animal Services as we have space available to save pets from euthanasia at that facility. While we find placing all of our animals to be a priority, we have worked to place the pets of the terminally ill as quickly as possible and to have these individuals pass with the peace of knowing their beloved pet is already in a loving home and that they are well cared for. This is an emotional burden to many who know their time is short and has eliminated euthanasia as their alternative. We have the new family meet the previous owner when possible. We were recognized by the Chamber of Commerce as the Community Service Organization of the Year in 2004 and in 2005. We are proud to have had our President recognized by the Governor of Florida as Florida's Humane Volunteer of the Year for 2006.