What We Believe
The Dakin Pioneer Valley Humane Society provides shelter, education, advocacy, and assistance for animals and people in need.
DPVHS is a private, non-profit organization serving the communities of Franklin, Hampshire and Hampden counties. Many of our programs also serve animals and people in Worcester and Berkshire counties, as well as northern Connecticut.
We do not receive any government funding nor are we funded or operated by any national humane organization. We rely solely on contributions from individuals who care about animals to bring our services to the community. We also depend on the dedication of more than 200 volunteers who work alongside our staff to help us care for animals, deliver our programs, and govern our organization.
On August 1, 2009, DPVHS will open its new Adoption & Education Center at 171 Union Street in Springfield, ushering in a new era for animals in the Pioneer Valley. Along with our Leverett Adoption Center, our Springfield center will provide a safe haven and a second chance to more than 8,000 homeless cats, dogs, rabbits, birds, and other small animals each year.
It isn’t just about sheltering.
The philosophy of the DPVHS is as much about preventing animal homelessness as it is about providing homes. We believe that providing safe haven, while an important piece of our mission, is but one part of it.
Going to the source of animal homelessness is the cornerstone of the Dakin Pioneer Valley Humane Society’s work in our community.
We develop our attitudes about animals early in life. By reaching out to our schools, to community groups, and to local colleges with education and internship programs, we make a long-term difference in how our community cares for its animals. Our education and outreach programs reach hundreds of people each year.
The primary source of homeless kittens entering our shelters is our community’s population of feral and barn cats. Since 2002, our Feral Spay Sunday free clinics have neutered nearly 6,000 feral cats. Doing so has prevented the birth of thousands of unwanted kittens, reduced the population of free-roaming cats, and protected wildlife from feline predation.
By partnering with the Massachusetts Animal Friendly License Plates program, local veterinarians, and our generous donors, our CatSnip program helps hundreds of families afford spay or neuter surgery for their cats each year. We also provide access to affordable sterilization surgery for dogs and rabbits. By preventing unwanted litters of kittens and puppies, DPVHS helps stop the flood of homeless animals in our community.
Families in our community were too often forced to choose between safe shelter in a crisis and surrendering their precious companion animals. Today, the DPVHS provides temporary foster care for animals whose people are homeless, in nursing care, or seeking shelter from domestic violence through our Safety Plan for Animals.
They depend on us.
We depend on you.
