Mission and History

Foundational Belief & Mission Statement

We at the Humane Society of Chittenden County believe that supporting, strengthening and sustaining the bonds between people and pets improves the well-being of individuals, families and communities. Our mission is to ensure that every pet has a loving home and that every pet owner has access to the resources they need to give those pets happy, healthy lives.

Our mission is to:

Provide for the health and well-being of companion animals that are in need and find each a loving home
Reduce the number of unwanted animals through spay/neuter programs
Offer affordable health and wellness services and resources to pet owners in need, targeting the underserved population
Promote the animal-human bond through outreach, humane education, and therapeutic programming
Advocate on behalf of animals in crisis and as an enforcer of their rights and protection through education, investigation, and legislative efforts.

HSCC is an independent, 501(c)3 not-for-profit organization that receives no city, state or federal funding. We are not affiliated with any national organizations, such as the Humane Society of the United States. We rely solely on the limited revenue generated by our programs and fees, and on the tremendous generosity of our community. In fact, the majority of our annual revenue comes from charitable giving! We serve Vermont’s most populated county, Chittenden, as well as Grand Isle County.

Founded in 1901, HSCC has been serving both animals and people for well over 100 years. The original facility was built by June & Herb Davis, considered the modern-day founders of HSCC, but was outgrown by the late 1990’s. Our current facility was completed in October of 2002 and boasts nearly 12,000 square feet of animal care and adoption space, where we take in over 1,400 animals each year and welcome as many as 20,000 visitors annually. The majority of the animals at HSCC are cats and dogs, but we also provide care and services for small animals such as rabbits, ferrets, and guinea pigs.

CLICK HERE TO VIEW HSCC'S FULL 120 YEAR TIMELINE!

Our pledge to the members of our community- two and four-legged alike- is to conduct our work with compassion, integrity, transparency, and high quality. We are committed to our over-arching theme of Surrender Prevention, or more simply, keeping pets and their families together. We accomplish this through humane education, prevention, and intervention, and with high standards for both animal care and for the welfare of our community. We do that work not only with the support of our community but also with other organizations and animal welfare groups in Vermont and throughout the region. For a list of other shelters and animal welfare organizations in Vermont, visit our Resources page.