The Humane Society of Allen County

Geographical location: (40.774933, -84.171233).
The Humane Society of Allen County is dedicated to the elimination of cruelty, abuse, neglect and abandonment of animals. Located at 3606 Elida Road in Lima, Ohio, the Society will shelter animals in time of need, locate lifelong homes and promote responsible pet ownership through education.

History
Through the hard work of five caring individuals, the Animal Protection Association of Lima was incorporated on October 29,1937. Their purpose was "To promote the general welfare of dumb animals, to devise and execute means of securing for animals more kind and humane treatment." Since that time, the organization has been governed by a Board of Directors and acted as a not-for-profit agency. The name of the organization changed in 1965 and the Lima- Allen County Humane Society was incorporated.
The Society has built two shelters during its existence. The grand opening of the Seriff Road shelter was celebrated in December 1979. The mortgage was paid off in only two years and the board of directors immediately began expansion plans. Those plans ultimately led to the current state-of-the-art shelter on Elida Road, which opened in May 2000. With that came another name change to The Humane Society of Allen County.
More changes came through work with the city of Lima. In 1972 the city contracted with the society to handle animal control within city limits. Three years later, the Allen County commissioners contracted with the shelter to handle dog warden responsibilities. Animal control contracts with both the city and county were terminated in 1985 and in 2001 the society terminated the contract with Allen County to house stray dogs.
The recent changes serve to bring the shelter in compliance with laws that cover humane societies in Ohio. They strongly feel the need to maximize the available resources of the Society towards ending the overpopulation of homeless companion animals in Allen County. They hope to accomplish this through education, spay/neuter programs and innovative adoption education.

About
The Humane Society of Allen County (HSAC) is dedicated to the elimination of cruelty, abuse, neglect and abandonment of animals. The Society will shelter animals in times of need, locate lifelong homes and promote responsible pet ownership through education, legislation and sterilization. HSAC is a non-profit, "no-kill" animal welfare organization that receives no federal, state, county or city tax dollars to support its programs and services. Over 76% of the Society's operating budget comes from Bingo proceeds. In addition to striving to find loving, lifelong homes for the Allen County areas' homeless animal population, HSAC also operates the only privately funded Injured Animal Rescue Unit in Ohio, a rehabilitation center to care for animals suffering from physical and/or emotional trauma, and a cruelty investigations department headed by the county’s only humane officer. Pre-adoption questionnaires are completed and an adoption counselor will review the application with the potential adopter. Consultation is designed to help us determine if the animal is compatible with your lifestyle. The adoption process may take 24-48 hours to complete.
Current heads of the society are:
Executive Director
Mark Twyford
Director of Animal Welfare
Beth Kerzee
Adoption Center Manager
Michele Karch
Humane Officer
Angela Cotrell
Volunteer Coordinator
Jeannine Hallard
Special Projects Coordinator
Robin Workman

Services
Animal Cruelty Investigations
HSAC Humane Officer Angela Cotrell investigates allegations of animal cruelty, neglect and mistreatment. HSAC encourages all incidents of suspected abuse to be reported; stating "We would rather investigate a claim that turned out to be unfounded than miss an opportunity to help an animal in need."

Injured Animal Rescue
In operation since 2003, the HSAC Injured Animal Rescue unit continues to answer the call to save homeless injured animals.

Behavior Training Hotline
Behavioral problems are one of the leading causes of companion animals being relinquished to shelters. With this in mind, HSAC established the hotline to offer advice on common canine and feline behavioral problems.

Companion Animal Population Control
Each year more than five million dogs and cats are euthanized in shelters across the nation. As a responsible animal welfare organization, HSAC does its part to reduce that number by surgically sterilizing all of the animals it has available for adoption.

Safe Haven Boarding
Continuing with its commitment to the community and animals-in-need, HSAC will provide a safe haven for your dog or cat whose life is endangered due to a family crisis.

Donations
The HSAC has many donation programs that go straight to the animals in the shelter.

*"A Bed for Every Head"
*"Project Keep Me Warm"
*Injured Animal Rescue Unit
*Special Needs Animals
*Alleviate Animal Suffering
*Sponsor A Dog Kennel
*Sponsor A Cat Cage

Notes and references

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