Frequently asked questions

Answered by a team member at Jacksonville Humane Society

• What is your mission?

  The Jacksonville Humane Society provides care, comfort and compassion to animals in need while engaging the hearts, hands and minds of our community to bring about an end to the killing of abandoned and orphaned shelter animals.

• How are donations used?

  Donations provide shelter and medical care to close to 9,000 homeless pets each year.

• What can be done with a $100 donation?

  Life saving vaccines and spay and neuter surgery.

• What progress has been made already thanks to your donors?

  Thanks to donors, our Pet Help Center provides more than 3,000 families each year with the resources needed to keep their pets during a crisis . We are committed to acting as a resource to the Jacksonville community for all companion-animal needs including affordable vet care, humane education programs and behavior services while remaining a no-kill shelter.

• What is the history of your organization?

  Since 1885, the Jacksonville Humane Society has provided care and compassion to animals in need and now we are one of the largest no-kill cites in the country. Because of this, Jacksonville is nationally held as a model community and JHS provides training and mentoring opportunities for shelters across the southeast. But while the Jacksonville Humane Society is esteemed on a national level, we are a local, independent nonprofit with no national affiliation. This means we don’t receive any federal or state funding and depend on the support of donors and volunteers. We moved to our Beach Boulevard location in 1920 and have been operating there since. In 2007 a devastating fire destroyed most of the property…but with the support of our community, we were able to re-open a better Adoption, Education and Pet Help Center. The Pet Help Center is here to help pet owners in our community by offering a wide range of free and low-cost services to help keep dogs and cats in their loving home. We are a full-service humane society offering programs to engage our entire community from children’s Pawsitive reading and camp to yoga with cats and celebrate the animal human bond. In 2024 the Jacksonville Humane Society cared for more than 8,500 dogs, cats, kittens and puppies.

  Only you can help us continue this important work. If you love animals the way we do, and would like to join our circle of friends, we encourage you to explore the different ways to help, donate, volunteer fundraise or foster. Together, we can make Florida a leader in lifesaving.