Animal Welfare Isn't Just about Adoptions Anymore

Over the course of the past 15 years my family has managed to adopt four dogs at the Humane Society of Boulder Valley (HSBV). It was only natural for me to assume that HSBV’s mission is to place stray animals into good homes, particularly because that’s been the case for most of the organization’s history dating back to 1902. More recently, however, changes in animal welfare have started to make adoptions a facet of HSBV as opposed to its core mission.

You’ll notice that our mission statement reflects this by broadening our original focus to emphasize the relationships between pets and people:

It is the mission of the Humane Society of Boulder Valley to protect and enhance the lives of companion animals by promoting healthy relationships between pets and people.

We’ve done such a thorough job of placing animals from the region that we’re able to provide support to communities across the country by transferring animals into our shelter. Our veterinary services no longer exist strictly to care for shelter animals - we’re able to offer them to the public for ongoing care. Our training and behavior resources are similarly available to the public these days.

You might even say that we haven’t been satisfied with providing animals with a second chance at life. We’re delivering on ways to make that life a healthy, happy one, and we’re expecting to continue that trend in the coming years. Expect to see additional service offerings from the organization in the coming months as we continue to evolve the organization to suit the needs of our community.

I’m incredibly proud to be taking part in an effort by the HSBV leadership team and board of directors to take some calculated risks as we move forward. If you’ve got thoughts on how the Humane Society of Boulder Valley can strengthen the bonds between pets and their owners, please let me know!