The Nebraska Humane Society

This week I had the opportunity to help a stray cat, made possible because of the help provided by my local humane society and veterinarian. This got me thinking about all the different programs and resources that are available to us from our local humane societies and how many people may not even know about them. This led me to think about how best to explain what resources and services that are available from different organizations around the country, and how you can help your local humane society. I am excited to say that K9Cuisine is giving me that opportunity to help spread the word. The K9Cuisine website will now feature an entire section of this blog that focuses on different shelters and humane societies from all across the country! This post is the first of this new series.

Focusing in on the country’s fifth oldest humane society, founded in 1875, the Nebraska Humane Society is also one of the largest.  They provide many things to the community of Omaha and the surrounding areas including pet education, shelter, and they work to encourage adoption and responsible pet ownership throughout the Greater Omaha Area! 

The facility itself is housed on a 13-acre campus with four buildings, 150 staff members and over 600 volunteers.  I was amazed by the wide variety services they offer including: 

  • Providing medical services to animals in their care
  • A low cost spay/neuter program for the community
  • Pet training classes and dog/cat behavior modification programs
  • A free behavior call-in help line
  • A pet food pantry, for community residents in need
  • A Project Pet Safe to help victims of domestic violence (a truly remarkable program)!
  • AniMeals – A program to deliver pet food to the elderly or those unable to leave their homes
  • Advocating for animal welfare
  • Plus many more services. 

As you can see the number of services available to pet owners is far more numerous than just sheltering and adoption for strays and unwanted pets (those services that are most widely known). The Nebraska Humane Society, and indeed all humane societies, works with pet owners to keep pets in good and happy homes. If that requires behavior classes, or a little help with food, they are there for you. Additionally their efforts to offer low-cost spay/neuter programs not only helps control the pet population, but it also helps ensure more pets stay in their loving homes.  

The Nebraska Humane Society program Project Pet Safe, helps keep and shelter pets in foster homes while families may be in transition due to domestic violence. 

The AniMeals program was one that I had not heard of before, but am delighted that it is available. This program helps to deliver pet food to the elderly and disabled who are homebound or are otherwise unable to leave their homes. This enables pets to stay in their homes and it may be the owner’s only source of daily companionship, which may improve their outlook and well-being.

The Nebraska Humane Society, being the one of the largest in the country, really offers a great deal of programs. They even offer a Kindness Camp, a summer camp for kids. They celebrate education in the community by offering curriculum to teachers and schools. Looking over all the programs offered by this facility, I quickly realized that programs like these, and those that are offered in your area require are made possibly be the ongoing support of their community. With many similar organizations closing around the nation, it is even more important that we help ensure these programs however we can. 

How can you help? Get involved, volunteer, and give. It doesn’t take a lot to make a difference to a local shelter. Many are in need of basics, like food, pet supplies, cat litter, Dawn dish soap and bleach. Pick up some extra at the store, and drop it off on your way home. Another suggestion is to do what my aunt and cousin do each year.  Something I didn’t know about until this last Christmas. They take a large jar at the beginning of the year, and start throwing their extra change in it. For Christmas, they take the jar of change down to the shelter, which always is a big surprise for them (and a wonderful lesson for children). At the end of this post, I have included the contact information for the Nebraska Humane Society, get in touch with them and see how you can help, you won’t regret it! 

If you’re serious about getting some exercise but keep slacking off, sign up to be a volunteer dog walker. You will soon get attached to the dogs, and will want to go each day to walk your favorite pooch! There are many volunteer opportunities available at your local humane society. You may be needed to deliver food, or help at the front desk. In any case, your help and time will be appreciated, and you will feel great about doing something for all the local pets in your community! 

Nebraska Humane Society
8929 Fort Street
Omaha, Nebraska 68134
Phone: 402-444-7800
Animal control: 402-444-7800, ext. 1
www.nehumanesociety.org