Animal Humane Society

My son was denied a grant to have surgery for his cat. He is a tax payer who made a little over $40 000. Seems all programs are only for people on some welfare program. Not the people paying for these programs.

When companion animals are in need, they Animal Humane Society is there.

Instead of addressing my concerns and issues they willing took back my adoption as it was an easy flip for financial gains. Sad. Annoying as I'm a Senior who is still working as I can't afford to retire until 70. The interviewer was cold and detached. No compassion or coaching. Do Not Recommend Woodbury Location. 2 Thumbs DOWN.

It is a great nonprofit organization. They work very hard. They are also honest and good person. It is very difficult to serve this type subject but they do it perfectly with responsibly. They take better asset to their community. They always create new idea and also apply it. If anyone tell about any kind of negative things, it's not true. I think it is one of the most important for all of ours. So thanks AHS for their activate.

I have volunteered with the Animal Humane Society of Golden Valley for several years, both on the adoption floors and in the surgery room. I can assure you that it is NOT a kill shelter. Animals stay with AHS until they are adopted. The staff at the Humane Society are very caring and will go to the ends of the earth to make sure that each and every animal finds a happy "forever home". They also have several programs that help shy pets grow more accustomed to humans: Project Pit Bull and Courageous Kitties. I can certainly debunk Pamela's assertion that the Golden Valley Humane Society is a kill shelter, because it is not. They take every single animal into their care that is brought to them and will NEVER kill an animal because they don't have enough room for it. That is simply absurd.

I am not in agreement with the positive feedback from others. This shelter is a kill shelter and the funds seem to be used to glorify the organization, the top officials and not for the animals. Very expensive and they do not do anything other than health checks

Pam Googe

The Animal Humane Society does such wonderful work! They are a caring and dedicated group of staff and volunteers. I have a cat my mom adopted from the Society years ago - - he's now 22 years old! He is such a joy. I've participated in the Walk for Animals the last 10 years, and am looking forward to next year's Walk. If you spend any time at the Society, you can see first hand the wonderful care given to these animals. And not only do they provide support for our community, they help other communities across the country due to natural disasters and other hardships. A wonderful organization!

I adopted a dog from the Animal Humane Society in the spring of 2012. I could not be more pleased or satisfied with my experience. My dog originally came from an overcrowded shelter in Alabama, and the AHS accepted her and several other pets that didn't have a home or potential adopters down south. Despite being a few pounds underweight, she was healthy and happy when I adopted her. She had all her shots, was tested for heartworm (negative), tested and treated for worms, and was recently spayed. The AHS sterilizes ALL dogs and cats before adoption to help reduce pet overpopulation. She was also clean and I could tell she was loved and well cared for during her short stay at the shelter. My family and friends have always adopted their pets from the Animal Humane Society, and I will continue to be a donor and client because the work they do is nothing short of amazing.

This is a very wonderful, worthy nonprofit organization. They have new and innovative ideas. Some of these ideas have been implemented and are making a difference.

I am volunteer who rescues dogs from the Leech Lake Indian Reservation in northern Minnesota. I began partnering with the Animal Humane Society in May of this year and it has become a beautiful partnership.

Every person I have worked with has been professional, kind and most of all, every one of them has an undying passion for saving every animal they can and for those they cannot, making their last days on this earth as good as they can be.

I would not be able to do what I do without them.

I have attached a link to a blog I wrote about my partnership with AHS.

http://leechlakelegacy.blogspot.com/2011/07/ahs-mnpaw-and-leech-lake-beautiful.html

Jenny Fitzer

I've attended classes, volunteered and adopted family pets from the Animal Humane Society since I was a kid (30+ years). It is a wonderful, compassionate organization that truly cares about animal welfare.

I volunteer now, but have been a customer in the past. I got my cat there about 8 years ago, and my husband says there has never been, or will ever be, 2 beings that love each other more. Now I'm giving back my time and getting to know canines, so that I can soon make an informed decision on my first dog companion!
AHS is no perfect, because animal welfare is not either. Of course I wish there was no euthaniasia, but I know AHS does as well. It's a necessary evil, and their funding supports education and programs aimed at reducing population and 100% placement rates.
They're a wonderful organization filled with caring, selfless people and adoring animals! They even take in wildlife.

They assist thousands of animals each year find a new home.

Between 1991 and now, our family has adopted 7 animals from AHS. They have all been wonderful additions to our family. The staff at AHS are helpful, caring and know their animals. We feel the organization is a leader and strong voice in the Minnesota animal welfare community. The organization has made positive changes to its programs over the years and continues to improve the work it does. We are proud to have been part of the organization as donors, adopters and a volunteer.

The Animal Human Society is a wonderful asset to the community. Their support and care of animals is top notch. My experience with the Animal Humane Society is as a donor and pet adopter. Their pet loss support group was a huge help a few years ago when I lost my beloved cat. Since then, I have been a strong supporter of everything they do through donations and the Walk for Animals.

I have been both a donor and volunteer of the Animal Humane Society. It is at the top of my list of organizations I consider deserving of my contributions, and I always feel good when I write my check to AHS. Also, being a volunteer gives me a behind-the-scenes look at what the organization does.

It continues to amaze me all of the services the shelter provides - way more than the average member of the public could ever know. Two cats my family adopted from AHS had been hit by cars, and in both cases, the AHS invested time and resources to give those animals a second chance. One of the cats required the amputation of a leg, and the other required several weeks of treatment for a head injury.

For animals that are surrendered at the shelter but are too fearful or have behavior issues which need addressing before the animal goes up for adoption, AHS offers a socialization program where volunteers work one on one with those animals until they are ready for the adoption floor.

Many animals recovering from surgery are placed in volunteer foster homes until they are well enough to go on the adoption floor. All animals who are adopted have already been spayed or neutered to help address the overpopulation issues. The animals also have a microchip implant so they can be easily tracked should they get lost.

Once animals are adopted, AHS offers services to adopters including training classes and a help line. AHS even offers a support group for people who are grieving the loss of a pet.

AHS is sometimes critized because it is not a no-kill shelter. Unfortunately, though, there are many more unwanted and stray animals than there are available homes and shelters. No-kill shelters are also doing important work, but there is a limit to how many animals the no-kill shelters can take, meaning they aren't able to take in every animal that someone tries to surrender to them.

My sense as both a volunteer and donor is that AHS is very mission focused and is a wise steward of the financial resources it receives. Expenditures are made carefully, and the organization utilizes volunteers wherever it can to help keep expenses as low as possible and focused as much as possible on the care of the animals.

I started as a volunteer at the Animal Humane Society in the 1980s. Between 1984 and 1996, we adopted three cats from them. Each time, we received help in selecting the best cat to fit our particular situation. We had a chance to visit with several different cats in private rooms and talk to volunteers who knew the cats. Twice we adopted adult cats, because the Society does not put an age limit on cats accepted for adoption. Also, animals who are on the adoption floor remain there until they are adopted; there is no "kill by" date. All adopted animals are now spayed/neutered before leaving the facility, one of the real ways we can attack the problem of stray and unwanted animals. The Society is currently raising money for a low-cost spay/neuter clinic in their Golden Valley building to serve people who already own pets but cannot afford the surgery.

I have also been a contributor to the Society, and have increased my donations as my circumstances have allowed. I like that the Society provides services to help adopters with their pets after the adoption: puppy training classes, advice on behavioral issues, and so on. I also like their program for taking carefully selected animals to assisted living/nursing homes: my elderly mother greatly benefitted from such visits. And finally, they provide many tours and education on proper care of animals for school groups; summer camps for children interested in animal-related careers, etc. I am constantly amazed at the range of services and programs that are available. Even a pet-loss support group when your pet has died. Are some animals euthanized? Yes, because some animals come in with overwhelming health issues, or are feral animals, and so on. But I would rather they be humanely euthanized than roam the streets and die from injury, hunger, or our cold winters.

People also need to know that the Animal Humane Society has two humane investigators who work with police around the state of Minnesota to investigate animal abuse, puppy "mills", animal hoarding situations, and so on. They are the only two full-time human investigators in the state.

The Animal Humane Society is my number 1 charity, and I support them completely.

I have volunteered as well as adopted wonderful animals from AHS. The staff and volunteers are friendly and caring. This year, they brought in specialists to help the shelter better serve animals in their care.

I am a volunteer, donor and customer of the AHS. When I first started volunteering 8 years ago I was amazed by how much AHS does for the animals. This lead to me wanting to contribute to the organization as it is obvious that the majority of funding goes toward making the animals lives as pleasant as possible.
The staff is invested in the lives of the animals. All you have to do is ask them a questions about the animals and you can tell they love and care about each animal in the shelter.
Part of my volunteering involved 'vising' the animals that were sick so they would have socialization. AHS does everything possible to bring the animals back to health so they can be available for adoption.
The reality of euthanasia exists however it is not based on the amount of time an animal has been at the shelter or the age of the animal. Frankly I believe sometimes euthanasia is the humane answer for some animals. Because they accept all animals that show up at their door (unlike many shelters that turn animals away) they have animals that have terminal illnesses (leukemia) or behavioral problems (urinating in home, feral cats, etc). They go through a process with every animal to determine if the animal is appropriate for adoption.
I support this organization 100% and feel confident recommending them to anyone for donations, purchase of animals,or volunteer opportunities.

We have been doners to the animal humane society for over 30 years as well as being an adopter of 4 wonderful cats. We have also toured the Golden Valley facility which was a wonderful experience in seeing the generous love and care being given to these homeless animals.

Mr. and Mrs T

I have been a volunteer for the Animal Humane Society for many years. I have seen all aspects of the organization and all the great things they do, as well as many of the difficult decisions they've had to make. They help so many animals that need homes, including many wildlife that have been displaced for some reason. They provide a great service to the entire state by taking in animals that people can no longer care for, are found wandering the streets - lost, no longer wanted, and a myriad other reasons animals need a home. AHS is such a necessary organization for our state, I can't imagine it not being here. I am very proud to volunteer for them, and am amazed at all that they do for the animal and human communities of Minnesota.

The Animal Humane Society partners with other animal welfare groups from Minnesota and around the country to provide better care and safe refuge for thousands of homeless animals. I have adopted three fantastic, healthy cats from AHS over the last 13 years and I will continue to support it--Minnesotans and animal welfare groups around the state and nation are fortunate to have such a relaible, ethical and well-run partner!

wiley1827 challenged data taken right from the 2008 990 form: o % of total revenue spent on labor costs = 68.9% This comes from these lines: o Total revenue = Part I, Line 12 o Total Labor Costs = Part I, Line 15 o Number of Employees = Part I, Line 5 (410, btw - not 400) o Number of volunteers = Part I, Line 6 (1,467) The defensiveness of "wiley1827" is indicative of the continual efforts of AHS to "spin" data in their favor and hide actual facts. This is AHS' actual reported data. It should be noted that employees and volunteers are required to sign nondisclosure (confidentiality) agreements. Why the secrecy? What possible trade secrets do they have to protect? The most important point: All those millions every year and AHS still has to kill 1 out of every 3 animals that enter its shelters.

The fellow who claimed 70% expenses is misinformed or reading information wrong. AHS has complete disclosed info on their web site. It appears the comments left about AHS are a collusion or group effort by a single force to be critical. Charity Navigator and others gives them high marks. And local supporters and donors find them to be of very high caliber.