About the Humane Society of Boulder Valley
It is the mission of the Humane Society of Boulder Valley to protect and enhance the lives of companion animals by promoting healthy relationships between pets and people.
The Humane Society of Boulder Valley (HSBV) is a trusted source for services and information related to companion animals in Boulder and Broomfield counties. Founded in 1902, HSBV is the longest-serving, continuously operating humane society in the state of Colorado! Today, we provide a safety net to animals in need in our community and beyond. Each year, HSBV impacts more than 16,000 animals, helping them find their new beginnings in the Boulder community or working to protect happy and healthy relationships, and supports thousands of existing pet-guardian relationships in our community through our Safety Net services.
Our open-admission, socially conscious shelter provides care to any animal who comes to our facility. Open seven days a week, HSBV readily accepts community animals as guardian surrenders, stray pets, and transferred animals. The Transfer program enables us to offer a greater variety of animals to our adoption clients. The placement rates of our Adoption program ensure our doors are open to thousands of transfer animals seeking placement from overcrowded and under-served shelters in our state and region.
The HSBV Shelter Medicine program provides critical services to ensure the health and well-being of every shelter animal. The Humane Society of Boulder Valley also operates a full-service public veterinary clinic. Funds generated through the public veterinary clinic provide resources to ensure HSBV’s Shelter Medicine program has the resources necessary to support shelter animals.
Utilizing science-based positive reinforcement techniques and methodologies, our Training and Behavior Center provides behavioral support to animals at HSBV, helping ensure their success in their future homes. HSBV’s Training and Behavior Center also operates a public training center with group classes, expert presenters and professional seminars, private consultations, and access to certified trainers.
A safety net for our community animals and their guardians, HSBV offers life-changing resources during times of hardship, working hard to support happy and healthy relationships and prevent pet relinquishment when possible. Our Safety Net program includes temporary pet housing, free pet food and supply share, discounts on behavior support, and grants and subsidized veterinary services for urgent and wellness care. Learn more about our Safety Net here.
The Humane Society of Boulder Valley is a private, nonprofit organization that relies on donations from our generous supporters. HSBV animal care efforts are also supported by the funds generated through our Sonnyside Retail Store. HSBV is a private non-profit and rely on contributions to bring our essential services to the community; we are not operated by any national or regional humane groups or governmental agencies.
Our Commitment to Socially Conscious Sheltering
The Humane Society of Boulder Valley proudly supports the tenets of Socially Conscious Sheltering. Collaborative efforts with our community are helping to build Socially Conscious Animal Communities that create and invest in providing the best outcomes for all animals.
Our Responsibilities:
- Ensure every pet has a safe place to go for shelter and care. As an open-admission facility, no animal is ever turned away from HSBV, and we are committed to supporting each animals’ access to the Five Freedoms.
- Place every healthy and safe animal. HSBV assesses the needs of each animal on an individual basis, providing behavioral support, medical care, foster services, transfer opportunities, and more. We do not euthanize animals due to time or space and we do not turn animals away.
- Assess the medical and behavioral needs of animals and ensure their needs are thoughtfully met. Our expert staff teams of medical, behavioral, and sheltering staff support the unique and individualized needs of each animal in our care, and collaborate to ensure they receive the best possible care.
- Alleviate suffering and make appropriate euthanasia decisions. The HSBV team works together to consider the best possible outcomes for each pet, including euthanasia for animals who are suffering behavioral or medical challenges that cannot be managed, treated, prevent companionship, or are irrecoverably painful. We are also committed to keeping the pets and people of our community safe.
- Align policy with the needs of our community. HSBV works alongside members of the Boulder Valley community, as well as neighboring animal welfare organizations to identify service gaps and support local animals, in addition to our consideration of regional and national transfer partners.
- Consider the health and wellness of each animal and each community when transferring animals. Our robust transfer program makes thoughtful choices to support our neighbors and our partners. We seek to build efficiency in transfer decisions and minimize the stress and impact of transfer on the animals.
- Enhance the connections humans and animals share through thoughtful placement and post-adoption support. HSBV offers supportive care for animals enrolled in our Behavior Modification program, or those in need of ongoing care due to veterinary needs.
- Foster a culture of transparency, ethical decision making, mutual respect, continual learning, and collaboration. HSBV offers reclaims on each animal who is brought to us for care or adoption placement, allowing our community the choice to reconsider guardianship if our resources are unable to provide the assistance needed. Our teams work across departments, organizations, and communities to ensure questions, and concerns are addressed openly and honestly, accurate information is shared, learning is encouraged, and we evolve to meet the emerging needs of the animals and our community. We openly report all statistics and reporting, including participation in Shelter Animals Count.
For more information visit: scsheltering.org
Metro Denver Animal Welfare Alliance
Did you know that the Humane Society of Boulder Valley (HSBV) is a member of the Metro Denver Animal Welfare Alliance (MDAWA)? Since 2000, MDAWA’s 24 members have promoted humane care for companion animals in the greater metro Denver area through collaboration, resource sharing, education and advocacy. MDAWA works to increase companion animal adoptions, reunite more lost pets with their guardians, spay/neuter more pets, provide needed medical/behavioral care for more animals, and decrease the number of relinquished pets.
- Benefits of MDAWA’s collaboration:
Last year, MDAWA members found new homes for 37,771 animals and reunited 10,564 lost pets with their guardians. - During 2023, MDAWA members also transferred 4,393 homeless pets between member organizations and from animal care agencies in other areas of Colorado to provide needed medical/behavioral care and improved adoption opportunities.
- MDAWA members routinely transfer animals between member shelters/rescues to enhance the adoption of these animals or to relieve overcrowding.
- MDAWA members support each other in times of natural or manmade disasters, such as fires or floods, when a community’s shelter might be overwhelmed caring for pets of displaced citizens.
- The operations directors of MDAWA shelters/rescues meet bimonthly (and communicate more frequently) with their peers in other Front Range shelters/rescues to share best practices and address animal welfare issues.
We’re proud to be a part of this alliance of trusted animal welfare organizations. The strong, positive relationships our members have developed over the last 24 years have allowed us to help many more animals than we would be able to on our own, and better support our community.
Learn more about MDAWA: mdawalliance.org.
