Pet Partnership Program
In Marin County, there is a greater demand for animals than are locally available and so the Marin Humane Society has partnered with dozens of overcrowded shelters in Northern California - and beyond - to bring nearly 1,500 animals each year to Marin to find new homes. MHS is also routinely called upon to assist with large-scale animal rescues related to puppy mills, hoarding cases, factory farm animals, and natural disasters.
By relieving some of the pressure of having to deal with such a high volume of incoming animals, the Pet Partnership Program offers overcrowded shelters an opportunity to dedicate more resources to animals in their care needing treatment, and address the root cause of pet overpopulation in their community.
The Pet Partnership Program works with rescue groups and shelters that are registered 501(c)(3) non-profit organizations or county regulated animal facilities. This tight network that we have built consists of nearly 40 shelters and rescue groups. We support those shelters that simply don’t have the resources to care for the animals, and are euthanizing animals who are just in the wrong place at the wrong time.
Animals are rescued by volunteer animal transporters who log many miles each month traveling to places like Madera, Grass Valley, Placer County, Calaveras County, Lake County, Modesto and Fresno, as well as Berkeley, Martinez, Santa Cruz, Sonoma, Napa, the Peninsula and Santa Clara.
Support from our Pet Partnership Shelters:
"Working with the Marin Humane Society gives us an opportunity to save animals that would otherwise have no chance at all. These animals are considered highly adoptable, however they will likely sit in our shelter until they are sick or the shelter is too overcrowded to keep them any longer."
Shelter Coordinator, Central California SPCA
"In Madera County we are truly appreciative of the extraordinary efforts of the Marin Humane Society and your incredible staff and volunteers. MHS has become a big sister organization to our rural overcrowded shelter. They have provided us with resources that help us provide better care for our animals and knowledge to improve our marketing and assessments of our animals. Marin has truly been an inspiration to Madera. We need their help now more than ever. With the pet population still increasing and the fallout from the economic status of our residents, the pressures on our shelter are tremendous."
Director, Madera County Animal Services
"The Pet Partnership Program is a lifesaver for our shelter! Without MHS's assistance we would have to euthanize adoptable companion animals!"
Adoption Coordinator, Ukiah Shelter
"The Madera County Animal Shelter impounded a record number of animals this past summer. As more people lose their jobs and/or their homes, their pets are tearfully surrendered to our shelter in the hopes they will be adopted into new and loving homes. We see some great, well-socialized critters every day and we realize we do not have the capacity to find adoptive homes for all of them.
The only hope for most of these animals is to be transferred to another facility. We are so grateful every time we see your Pet Partnership Program folks. Without your program, and those of other shelters, our euthanasia rate would be close to 90%.
We are working diligently to educate the public on spay/neuter and we offer low cost programs to meet their needs. In the meantime, we can't ignore those animals that are already in our care."
Rescue Coordinator, Madera County Animal Shelter
For more information about the MHS Pet Partnership Program, please call 415.506.6286.
