About Us

The Nebraska Humane Society was founded in 1875. It is the fifth oldest humane society in the nation, and, today, is also one of the largest. We offer shelter to animals who have no place to call home and provide vital services to them and to the people who love them. Every year, more than 30,000 animals, including wildlife, find their way to our doors. Through our programs, we touch the lives of more than 200,000 people annually with our message of compassion and humane treatment for all living creatures. We are housed on a 13-acre campus with four buildings, 150 dedicated staff members and 600 volunteers.

We provide animal medical services to animals in our care. We offer training classes and behavior modification programs, a low cost spay/neuter center, humane education programs, a free behavior help line, a pet food pantry for residents in economic distress, Project Pet Safe for companion pets of victims of domestic abuse, and Animeals, a program to deliver pet food to elderly pet owners who no longer have the freedom or ability to leave their homes.

We are active advocates for animal welfare in our state, having written and lobbied the Department of Agriculture, the Nebraska Unicameral and local city councils to close puppy mills, to stop dog fighting, to insist on responsible pet ownership guidelines and to enforce dangerous dog ordinances. We are contracted to provide animal control services to Omaha and all of the communities within Sarpy County, providing shelter and a second chance to all of the stray, lost, abandoned, and often abused animals roaming loose in our jurisdiction. Our innovative Molly Project works to rehabilitate unruly, aggressive and fearful dogs, who, just a few years ago, would have been considered ‘‘unadoptable and untreatable.” In it’s first 4 years this program successfully placed, and kept in homes, almost 2,000 “unadoptable” dogs.

How we are funded

NHS is a private, not for profit 501-C3 organization governed by a volunteer Board of Directors. As a non-profit agency we rely on private donations to keep our doors (and kennels) open. We do not receive tax dollars, nor do we receive any portion of dues or donations paid to national animal welfare agencies.