The Humane Society of Ventura County is a compassionate care shelter and non-profit organization dedicated to the protection and adoption of animals in need throughout Ventura County.
The Humane Society of Ventura County (HSVC) invites all schools and youth organizations to participate in this season’s free Humane Education Youth (HEY) presentations. Each year the goal is to increase the number of youth audiences positively impacted by the information shared.
We are thrilled to share that nearly 100 animals found their forever homes during our Clear the Shelters adoption promotion! This year marked the 10th anniversary of the Clear The Shelters adoption movement. To celebrate this milestone, Greater Good Charities, NBCUniversal Local, a division of NBCUniversal, and Hill’s Pet Nutrition partnered with shelters and rescues across the country to promote a month-long event from August 10th to September 10th. HSVC offered $50 adoptions for all available dogs, cats, puppies, and kittens during this time. We also hosted not one, but two fee-waived days on August 17th and August 31st. Over 30 animals found their homes for free on these days and we couldn't be happier for them. Thank you to all who supported our efforts to Clear The Shelters, and thank you to all who donated in support of HSVC!
As a private nonprofit, HSVC is only able to accomplish its goals with the help of our community. There are infinite ways you can support the work we do every day! For our final day of back-to-school education week, we want to share all the ways you can get involved with HSVC and support the animals under our care.
We are ecstatic to share that after over three years in and out of the shelter, Ophelia has finally been adopted into her forever home! It's been a long journey to happily ever after, but we could not be happier for our girl! Above: Ophelia at four days old (left), eight-weeks-old (center), and six-months-old (right). Pretty girl Ophelia was born at the shelter on Easter Sunday in 2021. Her mama, Juliet, gave birth to 13 healthy puppies, and our staff cared for them until each pup was old enough to find their forever families. Ophelia was no exception and was adopted into a home at 8-weeks-old. However, she was returned to the shelter four months later through no fault of her own. Ophelia was adopted for a second time at 6-months-old but was returned four months later due to her energetic personality. April 10th marked her one-year anniversary at the shelter, just after her third birthday. As a long-term resident of the shelter, our staff and volunteers grew to care for Ophelia deeply. Staff insisted on spoiling the sweet dog on her big day. "Every dog deserves to feel loved on their birthday and every day, even if they're in a shelter!" said our animal care staff. Ophelia was treated to a special "Happy Birthday" cookie and a new birthday toy for her milestone.
One of the most important reminders we share with potential adopters is not to judge a book by its cover. This age-old mantra applies to shelter animals as well as humans! An animal shelter can be a stressful environment full of loud noises, unknown visitors, and anxious furry friends. Rescue dogs and cats can cope in many different ways while within the shelter walls. For today's back-to-school education week lesson, we are discussing common animal behaviors you may see in a shelter and breaking down what they mean.
It's day three of our back-to-school education week! Today we want to spotlight the wide range of services our Clinic offers and why they are important. From low-cost spay/neuter and vaccines to microchipping and TNR, each service is as vital as the next to help keep the animals of our community safe, happy, and healthy!
One of the largest challenges facing animal welfare organizations, including HSVC, is the number of animal owners needing assistance rehoming their animals. We’ve learned that there are a variety of challenging and unforeseen circumstances that can cause pets to lose their homes. Such conditions can include poverty, illness, lack of affordable vet care, and shortage of pet-friendly housing. Any of these situations can force even the most devoted pet owner to relinquish their beloved furry friend to a local shelter. Upon entering a rescue, these animals are referred to as owner-surrendered animals. While the HSVC accepts owner-surrendered animals, we strive to first provide resources to help keep pets in their homes and out of shelters. Today's Back-to-School Education Week spotlight will explore the resources our shelter offers to help pets remain with their families and our process for surrendering an animal.
It's back-to-school education week at HSVC! We have so many exciting new things happening at the shelter. What better time to share with our animal-loving community than the start of the new school year? Each day this week we will be educating the public on a different element of shelter life. From new policies and programs to resources and behaviors, we can't wait to share all the excitement with you! Did you know HSVC is now performing open adoptions? It's true! Like many shelters, we recently updated how we perform adoptions to make the process more accessible and welcoming for those looking to adopt. This approach involves removing barriers that may prevent people from adopting pets and creating a non-judgmental environment. We have replaced the formal application process with a simplified interest form and more flexible adoption policies. Our staff provides quality one-on-one counseling and resources to set animals and their new owners up for success. These changes were put in place with the hopes of encouraging more people to adopt animals in need!