My wife and I have been a foster, an adopter and a supporter for the past three years. I reached out to the shelter to once again begin fostering after working with some other local agencies in the same capacity. i explained to them that we most like to foster those dogs which are older and in many cases infirm. Shortly after communicating with them we were matched with the sweetest dog, Sweet Face, one could ever hope to find and we were asked if we would be willing to permanently foster her because of her myriad of medical problems. We immediately agreed. The shelter provided us with with everything we needed to care for this wonderful and well deserving older lady. They were responsive to her and our needs 24/7. With their help and commitment, we were able to keep her with us for slightly over 2 years before her health got the best of her. Once again, the staff were amazingly compassionate and understanding regarding the care of our girl and of our feelings that had developed over our time with her and they were able to provide her a comfortable, peaceful passing and us the necessary closure to move on.
Our second notable experience, with them was with a senior "pittie" girl, Sunny. She was a neglect case and I had noticed her intake pictures and the horrid state in which she was in. I inquired about her and if anyone was interested in adopting her, because I was. When I went to meet her, she was hard to recognize and I had a hard time believing she had been neglected due to the amazing care the shelter staff gave her. She has now been with us for a little over a year and we wouldn't trade her for anything in the world. She and her sisters, we also have two Saints, are inseparable. As we continue to work with the shelter, the staff always asks how Sunny is doing. I have never seen an instance where their number one concern was for anything other than the animals for which they care and the people and volunteers who help them in their mission.
I want to thank them all for the work that they do every day for these abandoned, stray, neglected and abused animals. They deserve the thanks and the animals deserve the care.
I am a foster home for cats and kittens at the Humane Society of Harrisburg. It sounds cliche, but it turns out they’re fostering me far more than I foster them. It has been such a privilege to watch the tiniest and sickest of kittens grow and develop into healthy and energetic and LOVING cats. Saying goodbye is easy when I know they are headed soon to a home where they will matched with the perfect family to be cherished the way they have always deserved. Fostering kittens has been an enormous gift in my life m- it’s given purpose to my days and brought joy while I struggle to find it anywhere else. Earning the trust of cats who have been in less than desirable situations is a whole other level of beautiful. I feel extremely privileged to play a temporary role in the lives of these beautiful creatures.
My daughter has had a hard time reading and works hard to stay at grade level with it. But that has created a dislike in reading for fun. Luckily we learned about the Reading Buddies program at the Humane Society of Harrisburg. She LOVES cats. So she was very excited when she was chosen to participate.
When the day came she picked a cat themed outfit and scoured through books to find just the right ones to read to her future buddies. She chose silly and funny ones along with a book about cats living in a bookstore waiting to be adopted into their forever homes.
The volunteer that prepared the room and sat with her as she read was fantastic. The volunteer kept commenting about the books that she brought and how wonderful they were which encouraged my daughter to keep reading more. And the cat that was chosen to be in the room with her or was slightly skittish at first and my daughter realized that sitting down and reading the book did actually make the cat seem more relaxed and come closer to her.
At the end of our half an hour we didn't even make it fully out the door before my daughter was asking the volunteer when she could come back and read to more cats. So thankful to find ways to encourage her to read for fun as well as an excellent cause.
Susquenita Middle School Student Council does a collection drive each winter to benefit the Humane Society of Harrisburg Area. Then, the students visit the shelter for a tour and to learn how our donations will benefit the animals. The kids use the donated cash to become Guardian Angels for residents that have been there for awhile. The shelter is always clean and welcoming and the employees know the stories of each animal. We've even been there when a former dog dog came back for a visit with his owner. The employees remembered him and were just as eager to see him thriving as he was to get the treats they were offering! Kristi is fantastic and really explains the animals' shelter and adoption process so well. It is a great experience for the kids and many end up visiting or donating again or on their own.
Summer Camp at the Harrisburg Area Humane Society is hands down the BEST experience my daughter has ever had when it comes to Summer Fun! Not only is the staff second to none hands on, but the programs and activities assigned to the 3 camps that we attended were AMAZING! Affordable, fun AND educational! This summer camp program is one that I would never miss, and I believe that all kiddos that have any type of connection to animals would benefit from these programs tremendously! I felt as if we became a part of the HSHA family after day 1! Highly recommend if you are looking for a quality and safe camp!
Penn State Harrisburg Career Studies, a program for students with intellectual disabilities, went for a tour of the facility and learned about the various entry-level jobs available at the Humane Society of Harrisburg. Kristi was inviting and knowledgeable. She related well to our students and helped them understand how the Humane Society works. All other employees and volunteers were kind and open to engage with our students. Kristi gave our students a useful packet of information and some fun stickers to take home.
I worked for a few months, several days a week at the Harrisburg Humane society. The animals were very well taken care of in every aspect! Emotionally, mentally and physically. All of the workers and volunteers were extremely professional and went out of their way to make this atmosphere comfortable for the animals. Great experience!!
I recently took home a dog that was in the Humane Society’s Foster-to-Adopt Program. The shelter made it very easy for me to take home a dog that would fit into my lifestyle, with the goal of adoption in mind. During the process they supported me and set us up for success.
3 weeks in, I officially adopted my dog! I recommend checking out the Humane Society if you’re looking to add a pet to your family!
We recently had a community outreach experience at HSHA by having some staff and furry friends do quarterly visits. It was was amazing to see joy in both the staff and dogs faces. These visits benefit all involved by allowing staff to take a break from work while the dogs have the opportunity to socialize in a new enviornment. We look forward to continuing our partnership with the HSHA.
We recently toured the Humane Society of Harrisburg to tie in to our vocational unit on being a Pet Caretaker. We had a tour, learned about who takes care of the animals and had lots of questions answered. The behind the scenes tour was great! Our students learned about volunteer opportunities and all it takes to keep the Humane Society running. Thank you for a great visit!
I have adopted dogs from HSHA and I have also been a foster parent for HSHA. I have seen firsthand their commitment to the welfare of the animals and the community. HSHA provides the veterinary resource center, low cost spay/neuter clinic, vaccine clinic, the pet food bank, online pet owner resources, and other programs that benefit the community.
The foster care team is top notch in ensuring that every animal is given the best care possible. Every member of the shelter staff is dedicated to the well being of the animals.
The entire HSHA team has been an unwavering beacon of support for the animals and the community.
The Humane Society of Harrisburg Area is outstanding.
My husband and I have fostered with and supported other shelters in surrounding counties, so we are speaking from experience. The general staff is friendly and helpful. The facility is notably clean.
The technical staff is exceptionally knowledgeable. Yes, they are medically professional, but beyond that is their emotional support. More remarkable is that the foster program is reachable at all hours of the day and night for emergencies.
The HSHA is a tremendous benefit to the community. A low cost spay/neuter clinic, vaccine clinic, the pet food bank, cremation services, summer camp for children, are a few of the programs geared to reaching the public.
It continues to surprise us how personally invested the staff is in the health and well-being of every animal they encounter.
We financially support the HSHA, we are involved in their foster program and we have included the facility in our will because we firmly believe in them.
I've donated several times to this shelter. Great staff that work hard for the animals and the people they help every day.
Our family has supported the Humane Society of the Harrisburg Area for two generations. My father was a regular visitor looking for his next best companion. My husband and I have participated in capital campaigns, served on their Board, volunteered as dog walkers, and have supported their business needs as well.
We are proud to have them in our community and look forward to their continuing efforts to educate, support, and match caring families with new four legged family members!
I have been a volunteer dog walker with HSHA for about fifteen years now, and a foster parent for only slightly less as long. It’s an amazing organization and the staff are outstanding. The shelter provides many critical services for the community, such as the Safe Haven Program, the Humane Law Enforcement section, the camp program, the list goes on. I also don’t know of many other shelters who work as hard at enrichment for the residents as the staff at HSHA do. A volunteer harpist even comes in to play music for the animals. I’m so proud to be associated with such a great organization, and I have them to thank for my whole furry family!
I have been a volunteer with the Humane Society of Harrisburg since June 2022 and I absolutely LOVE it. I am a member of the Dog Walking Team and the Events Volunteer Team, working events such as Kipona, World Kindness Day, and the annual FurBall and Gala. I’ve met and have been mentored by some of the most amazing, self-sacrificing, knowledgeable individuals and I’m so proud to know them. I respect each one and the role they play in building a better community for pets and people. The staff and volunteers treat these shelter animals as if they are their own. We develop relationships and bonds with these animals while they await their opportunity of a good life through adoption or foster programs. I’ve seen these same individuals go through a dark season recently and handle it with such professionalism and grace, supporting one another and really coming together to keep each other elevated and focused on our mission. These animals are tremendously cared for and are spoiled written with tons of affection and treats. HSHA is truly special and I thank God for this blessing to be a volunteer every day.
I've volunteered with the Humane Society of Harrisburg Area for over 4 years and have really enjoyed my experience. All the staff and volunteers I work with are fantastic and I can tell they truly care about the animals. The animals are well taken care of and loved until they find their forever homes. I'm inspired by what this organization does to help the homeless pets in my community and proud to help.
I'm Sandra Torres and I have never had to ask for help when it comes to my dog's, I just happened to look online for help with food for my four dog's and they came to my rescue I set the appointment and they gave so much food to feed them I just want to thank you from my heart for all the help.. my dog's have a full tummy and are happy I just can't thank you all enough it was easy and they didn't make me feel bad for needing help
You are my angels