Humane Society of Memphis & Shelby County

One visit and I’m already trying to become a volunteer dog walker!
You gotta love what the Humane Society does. They will take injured and mistreated pets and take care of them and treat them of their injuries. They do not euthanize the animals. They keep them there, training them to become great pets! There are several dogs that I’ve seen that have been found with limbs so destroyed that they had to be amputated. It’s a sad story but the HSMSC rehabilitates them and gives these animals a new life. I love dogs and hate to hear about over-​packed animal shelters that have to resort to euthanization in order to handle all the animals.
You can tell that other people also love the Humane Society because a TON of what they accomplish is totally volunteer-​driven.

I’m sure that they do a lot of good for a lot of animals but I can’t seem to get any help with a dog that really needs to be taken away from his owners. I have called and called for 3 months now and nothing has happened. Sad to see an animal be neglected and you can’t do anything about it.

I got my baby Dixon here!!! We have had him for a month now and we are really happy we checked out the Humane Society. They always have new pets in every other week that have tempted my boyfriend and I from getting our puppy a friend. Overall, great facility. The staff is friendly and engaging. We had Andrea help us before and after we got the puppy. They seem a little unorganized, but still great place.

Great experience to bad there are so many animals in need of a new home. Lots of places to hang out alone with any pet you are considering. Staff is great!

I haven’t actually adopted from here yet (we’re in-​process), but I have to give this place mad love for being beautiful, spacious, and conscientious. While any kennel environment is stressful for most dogs, this one is clean and spacious, with beautiful outdoor play areas. You can walk through at any time, and the dog area is well-​lit and ventilated.
Memphis Humane Society is unrelated to Memphis Animal Shelter — it is a nonprofit that takes in injured and abused dogs, then works to rehabilitate them and find them homes. The staff members here are all very helpful and knowledgeable. You can also tell the staff are very protective of these animals, which is understandable given the circumstances they’ve come from.
Don’t expect to come in and walk out with a dog on the same day. Unlike Memphis Animal Shelter, which is a public entity, the Humane Society is not required to take in every animal, so they don’t have to euthanize to regulate their carrying capacity. As a result, they place priority on making sure that adoptions are good for you and for the dog — for example, scheduling a meet and greet between the dog you’d like to adopt and any other dogs you own.
$ 150 to adopt puppies under 1 and small breeds, $ 100 for older/​larger dogs. Come check out this great organization!

I am sure that this place helps some people. However; I have never been one of those people. I have tried to get help when I found a dog that I could not keep. I lived in an apartment, had 4 cats and 2 jobs. All I got was sorry, call a rescue group. I have tried to turn in kittens I found in a box on the street. Their response was: They are too small, call a rescue group. I volunteered once to walk dogs. I walked the dog to the small dirt park that was approved. It was full of feces and other dogs, so I walked the dog two short blocks, crossed the street to an empty park. They attendees drove the two blocks in a car to tell me I went out of bounds. Not a helpful place to everyone.

This place is absolutely amazing! Every time I go I am amazed by how wonderful the staff is. And I love that they are a no kill shelter. They have such a wonderful mission and help precious animals. As soon as I get back from my next vacation I am headed there to get a cat!

The Humane Society of Memphis and Shelby County is a wonderful place. They rescue cats and dogs that are near death and do everything they possible can for them. It is a lovely facility and the staff is so helpful. You can tell how much the love animals right when you walk in the door. They are a perfect mix of charm and quirk.
Plus…they let you come in and play with the babies! It’s called volunteering ;)

The Humane Society’s dogwalker and volunteer program is awesome. Dogwalking is seriously one of the best things I’ve EVER done, and I absolutely love it. I can’t imagine my life without it. And we ALWAYS need more dogwalkers! You pick one day or night a week (or if you have no social life like me, you do more than one day) to join your group taking all the dogs out to the play yards. Like on Tuesdays I go after work and stay until we’re done, usually about 8pm. But you just stay as long as you can. I also do Fridays now too. Yeah, like I said… no social life. Don’t judge me.
A lot of people have said they could never do it because they would want to take them all home. This is a cop-​out, so save it. Also, they NEVER euthanize due to space or deadlines here, ever. But in case you are worried about feeling sad, I will say, I have never once felt guilty for leaving at the end of the night when we’re done. The Humane Society’s facility is actually really awesome, and the dogs have it really good here. You don’t ever feel like you’re leaving them in some awful situation where they’ll be so sad. Most of them are pretty content with their little routine. What you do feel like is that you’re making them happy, because going out to play is obviously the highlight of their day.
I also adopted my dog Cara from HS, and she is awesome of course. One great thing about her coming from there is that she is fantastic around other dogs, LOVES them, and is great around all kinds of people.
Doing dogwalking, you get to know all the dogs, which I love. There are SO many great, great dogs there. If you’re thinking about adopting, ABSOLUTELY visit the Humane Society. If you don’t see a dog that tickles your fancy, ask the staff. They can make recommendations based on your lifestyle and you may really click with a dog you didn’t really notice before. Also, they get new dogs in ALL the time, so if your first visit doesn’t result in anything, go back again and again until you find The One!