Our mission is to protect and advocate for companion animals in need, work to build a humane community that promotes compassion, and seeks to strengthen the human-animal bond. We strive to exemplify the core values of respect for life and to meet or exceed the best standards of practice for shelter care and operations. We are guided by the Five Freedoms of Animal Welfare and the Eight Tenets of Socially Conscious Animal Sheltering.

We accomplish our mission by working collaboratively with other shelters, rescues and community partners. We shelter the lost and homeless, reuniting them with their families, or facilitating adoption into new homes. We encourage spay and neuter of companion animals and offer support and education to animal guardians. We strive to exemplify the core values of respect and compassion for life and to meet or exceed the best standards of practice for shelter care and operations.

Donations are used to rescue and care for animals who need new homes in central Vermont. We go the extra mile for animals, which means when an animal is in our care, we provide everything that pet needs to find their new home including extraordinary veterinary care, behavioral support, and all the time they need to find the family who is hteir best match.

CVHS rescues and rehomes hundreds of pets a year, which is only possible due to the generosity of our donors.

CVHS was started in 1964 by two women who were concerned about animal cruelty. Since then we have grown significantly and have a significant impact in Vermont.

North Country Animal League’s mission is to promote compassionate and responsible relationships between humans and animals.

Spays or neuters a homeless cat or dog getting ready for adoption

This past year, the generosity of friends like you has made all the difference for hundreds of animals. When you support NCAL, you are investing in a safety net for voiceless animals in our community and beyond. THANKS TO YOU, quality individualized care is provided to each cat and dog that we welcome into our Pet Adoption Center, through nutrition, medical services, warm bedding, behavioral and social enrichment and more. Donations of every size help us to fulfill our commitment to every animal, every day. The result is adopted pets in forever homes, thriving and bringing joy into the lives of their families!

Like many of the world’s most respected charity organizations, the origin of our non-profit was good old-fashioned grassroots community action. Long-time Hyde Park resident Jan Gordon Stange believed no animal should ever be euthanized due to the lack of a home. This fundamental belief remains core to the organization today.

In 1994, the Lamoille County Humane Society (501c3) was founded and formally adopted the name North Country Animal League (NCAL) in 1996. Over the last 30 years, NCAL has become one of Vermont’s most cherished animal welfare and humane education campuses—finding homes for over 15,000 animals.

In 2019, NCAL expanded its work in creating responsible future animal caretakers by adding a sister organization, North Country Equine Center, which provides horsemanship and riding programs for local youth, plus boarding and training.

Our strength and vibrancy lie in the community surrounding us—our generous donors, supporters, participants, dedicated staff, and volunteers.