In keeping with our community focus, HSSC received a $20,000 Rachel Ray Save Them All Grant from Best Friends Animal Society. This grant is to help divert 200 at-risk cats from Sarasota County Sheriff's Office Animal Services (SCAS) to HSSC. These cats include nursing mothers and kittens, asocial cats, and "community cats" (i.e., feral ca...

Lily arrived in March 2022 with 22 other dogs and puppies we took in from a local hoarding case that involved 70 dogs. We responded immediately (within one hour!) to plea for help, collaborating with our fellow animal groups in the process. Once the 23 dogs and puppies were in our hands, we immediately began reversing the effects of malnu...

As hurricane season approaches, it's crucial to remember that our furry companions also rely on us for their safety and well-being during times of crisis. Just like us, our pets are vulnerable to the unpredictable forces of nature. That's why proper hurricane preparation that includes our four-legged friends is of utmost importance. From evacuation...

Kitten season brings forth a wave of adorable and vulnerable kittens into the world. If you happen to stumble upon a stray or abandoned kitten during this time, it's important to know how to provide the necessary care and support. In this blog post, we will guide you through the steps to take if you find a kitten during kitten season, ensuring thei...

The Humane Society of Sarasota County helps thousands of animals find their way to happy families every year. These victories are worth sharing and celebrating! Willow "Willow, formal known as Ebony, has found her forever home. She is more then we could have ever asked for. She took no time adjusting to our other dog Emma. They are getting along so...

HSSC has a commitment to saving lives that extends well beyond our own community. Whenever we can, we reach out to help others in need and this week HSSC is on the ground in Louisiana to assist a shelter in St. Landry Parish. Our work there is coordinated by the BISSELL Pet Foundation which has been actively supporting St. Landry Parish A...

At the beginning of the last year, we set a goal to save 2,700 wet noses and wagging tails, and we exceeded that goal! 2022 was a year of growth for our shelter: adopting more animals than ever before, developing new programs, expanding our community offerings, and becoming a resource for other shelters across the state to help Florida become no-ki...

For the past few weeks, the whiteboard in HSSC's lobby has tracked the distance to our goal of 2,700 total lives saved for the year. Every time we completed an adoption or spayed/neutered a community cat or returned an animal to its owner, the number would decrease. Yesterday morning, December 28, the whiteboard showed we were just 1 away from our ...

The Community Foundation of Sarasota County is making play possible at HSSC thanks to a $41,000 grant from the Helen C. Schwieder Fund to install turf in our group play yard. Playgroups are a fantastic way for us to get small groups of shelter dogs together for socialization and exercise. The only downside is how dirty the dogs get in our sandy, mu...

Santa Paws delivered more than 40 pairs of BOBS by Sketchers™ shoes to the hardworking staff at HSSC. The shoes were donated by BOBS by Sketchers™ and Petco Love to thank shelter employees for their tireless, lifechanging work and encourage them to continue putting their best foot forward in saving lives. HSSC was one of just 15 recipient organizat...

Check out our Fall newsletter "Fur the Record"  and stay up to date on the latest happening at HSSC! Click the booklet below to flip pages! Interested in keeping up with HSSC? Subscribe to our monthly newsletter down below! #mc_embed_signup{background:#fff; clear:left; font:14px Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif; } /* Add your own Mailchimp...

Updates as of Thursday, October 20, 2022.  HSSC is grateful to have survived Hurricane Ian with only minor damage. We are further grateful to have maintained power and water. Many of our neighbors were not so lucky, and we feel strongly that we owe it to them to help as much as we can. So while HSSC remains technically closed to the public, we...

All 18 of the HSSC's beagles have found their furever home! HSSC received 18 beagles from a partnership with the Humane Society of the United States, which took possession of 4,000 beagles from Envigo, a mass breeding facility that has received multiple violations for issues such as inadequate veterinary care and insufficient food. Many of the...

HSSC received 18 beagles from a partnership with the Humane Society of the United States, which took possession of 4,000 beagles from Envigo, a mass breeding facility that has received multiple violations for issues such as inadequate veterinary care and insufficient food. Many of these dogs were bound for animal testing laboratories across the cou...

What follows is a condensed version of a letter we received recently from a couple who adopted two dogs from HSSC. We hope you enjoy this "tail" of second chances and the power of the human-animal bond. After all, we do not just save animals. They save us too. "What a difference HSSC has made in our lives. Somehow, you managed to find us the best d...

Fitness with a furry twist! Instructor Janet Boyden will lead a yoga class in HSSC's spacious Education & Training Center. We'll burn some calories and get our zen on, then celebrate a great workout with wine and light bites. Expect some shelter pets to join the fun too. Details Date: Thursday, August 18, 2022Time: 5:30pmPlace: HSSC's Educ...

Thanks to everyone who attended our first-ever Adult Summer Camp on Saturday, July 30, 2022. More than 20 "big kids" enjoyed an afternoon of animal presentations, a behind-the-scenes shelter tour, and lots of hands-on cuddles. Guest animals included a chinchilla, a bearded dragon, a ferret, a cockatiel, a tortoise, giant rabbits, guinea pigs, ...

Our partners, DoodyCalls on the Suncoast, celebrated their expansion into the Suncoast area this month by hosting their Grand Opening celebration with us at the shelter! DoodyCalls brought in vendors for animal lovers in our community. Everyone enjoyed food trucks, pet-themed retail, and dog activities!  Sarasota pet parents cam...

Do you wish you could attend HSSC's Fur Fun Camps? Now you can!HSSC's Adult Summer Camp gives adults the chance to learn about and interact with shelter pets and other animals, both domestic and exotic. Join us on Saturday, July 30, from 3-6pm, for exciting speakers, an inside look at the happenings in our facility, and "adult" snacks and drinks.Ou...

The Humane Society of Sarasota County (HSSC) received a $7,500 grant investment from national nonprofit Petco Love March of 2023, in support of their lifesaving work for animals in Sarasota. Petco Love is a national nonprofit leading change for pets by harnessing the power of love to make communities and pet families closer, stronger, and...