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...

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...

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 ...

Saturday, November 12, 2022, was a perfect day for a race. Tropical Storm Nicole had departed our region only a little more than a day prior, leaving clear blue skies in her wake. More than 160 runners of all ages, including dogs, waited behind the inflatable Fit2Time arch, hands over hearts as the Sun Outdoors Sarasota Veterans Honor Guard raised ...

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...

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...

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...

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...

The Giving Challenge, presented by the Community Foundation of Sarasota County with giving strengthened by The Patterson Foundation, caused a fervor of generosity across the Suncoast. This 24-hour day of local giving generated more than $15.9M in unrestricted contributions for 669 nonprofits. Of that total, HSSC received $78,081 from 531 donors. Th...

Once again the Giving Challenge, presented by the Community Foundation of Sarasota County with giving strengthened by The Patterson Foundation, is upon us. Since 2012, this 24-hour day of local generosity has inspired the community and generated more than $59 million in unrestricted donations for 700+ area nonprofits. HSSC has participated in ...

There is absolutely nothing better than an event that's as fun as it is successful. The 2022 Paws on the Dance Floor, held Friday, April 8, at Art Ovation Hotel, raised an incredible $268,982 for the shelter animals at HSSC. From start to finish, it was an event like no other. Guests were treated to a non-stop party atmosphere, beginning with dange...

The Animal Clinic, operated by the Humane Society of Sarasota County, opened its doors in February 2016 as a full-service veterinary hospital aiming to provide affordable, high-quality veterinary care to the community. We appreciate the loyalty of the 11,000+ patients who have supported us these past six years. Over the past year, the veterinary pr...

HSSC was featured on Good Morning America for the #BettyWhiteChallenge! January 17 is a day that will live large in our memory. Not only did HSSC receive an astounding $63,000 in donations that day, but we were honored to be featured alongside four other elite shelters in a live segment on Good Morning America. It was an amazing day for animal shel...

Help us celebrate and honor Betty White! After Betty White's passing, just short of her 100th birthday, her fans across the country made the decision to honor her legacy by creating the "Betty White Challenge" to pay tribute to a cause she held dear to her heart throughout her life— animals. On January 17, people have the opportunity to participate...

HSSC celebrated its 70th birthday on February 7. HSSC was founded in 1952 as Sarasota's first nonprofit animal welfare organization! What an incredible journey it's been, going from enough kennels for 48 dogs and 6 cats to a 38,000 ft2 facility with the capacity to save 2,700 animals every year. A few notable facts from 1952: 1952 presidential...

We asked people to Adopt BIG and they answered our call We celebrated National Pet Month by featuring our big dogs with our Adopt BIG promotion and found 26 furever homes! It is heartwarming to watch our long-term dogs find their families. Meet some our new HSSC Alumni Adopt BIG Happy Tail "Adopting Bowie was the best decision I have...

We received a $50,000 grant from the Community Foundation of Sarasota County to support lifesaving care for 2,116 animals this year. Funding is provided by the Helen C. Schwieder Fund of the Community Foundation. "It takes tremendous resources to care for the nearly 200 animals in our facility at any given time. This $50,000 grant will be transform...