Our Vision
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The Humane Society of Elkhart County seeks to create caring communities that advocate for the humane treatment of all animals.

Our Mission
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The Humane Society of Elkhart County is dedicated to promoting respect and responsibility to all animals and to the prevention of suffering and neglect through education, public service and adoption.

History
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In the late 1920’s, there was a growing concern regarding the fate of unwanted and stranded animals.  In 1939 a small band of interested individuals began to formally take on these unfortunate creatures.  Their efforts lead to the formation of the Humane Society of Elkhart County which operates an animal shelter and serves as animal control for Elkhart County.

Funding
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We are a 501c3 Not-For-Profit organization. This means we require donations to operate. Although we do receive funding from some cities and the county, this funding is for animal control services and comprised approximately 38% of our budget in 2011.

Population Served
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The Humane Society serves a community of over 200,000 people. This includes all the cities in Elkhart County except for Nappanee.  About 70% of Elkhart County owns a pet. The Humane Society seeks to educate the county on proper animal care and various animal welfare issues.

Want to learn more about us? Visit our FAQ page!

The Humane Society of Elkhart County was built in 1939.

Statistics
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In 2011, the Humane Society admitted approximately 500 animals a month. By the end of 2011 over 5,360 animals had come into our shelter facility which has a 266 animal capacity. At the same time, 1,850 animals were adopted, returned to their owners or were sent on to legitimate animal welfare groups. With all the services provided for animal welfare, the Humane Society touched the lives of over 11,145 animals.

Open Admission Vs. Closed Admission
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Because we provide animal control to most of Elkhart County, we are considered an open admission shelter. This means HSEC will not refuse animals from Elkhart County service area residents if the shelter is full. Closed admission shelters may refuse to take more animals because they have reached their facility limit.

Adoption Center
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Although we are an Open Admission shelter, we are proud to say that every animal that goes into our adoption center stays there until they are adopted. We have worked really hard to try every effort of finding an animal a home by adoption or working with legitimate animal welfare groups. If the animal won't fit well in our adoption center, we will try to find another animal welfare group to give it a home.