Yavapai Humane Society

I went to yavapai humane society on March first to adopt two dogs after driving fifty miles to get these dogs . Upon arrival I was told I could not see the animals I came to adopt I knew what dogs I wanted. I was told I need a appointment even though there were no people waiting and one car in the parking lot. These people don't care about the dogs just about time. I would never suggest to anyone to adopt a pet there. There lack of Concern was disgusting they offered a appointment to get the dogs four days later in the afternoon not convenient due to the drive of fifty miles. The humane society cares nothing about the animals but time and appointment Mattered again I don't recommend the agency to anyone . There are more accomodations but other agencies that do care about the dog and the adoption parents and getting a home for the dogs just appointment and money very disheartening organization find another agency that cares

My husband and I met walking dogs and we were devastated when our youngest was allergic to dogs. We knew we would need a hypoallergenic dog for him. We couldn’t believe we found Charlie at the Yavapai Humane Society. He is a 7 year doodle of some kind and the absolute love our lives. We often say to Charlie at night when he is sleeping with our son -“who saved who?!?!??” We love Charlie and the whole experience from beginning to end with Gina and Loree was incredible!! I hope everyone can find their Charlie there.

I adopted two of my dogs from Yavapai Humane Society, one last year and the other several months ago. Both of my adoption experiences exceeded my expectations. The facility is very clean and the staff was not only knowledgeable, but it is so obvious that they love what they do!

We have adopted 3 dogs from their loving care over the past 10yrs. YHS, the staff and volunteers are so passionate about the animals and saving every one!!! Could not imagine our Tri-Cities without YHS. They deserve the highest honor and praise! THANK YOU YHS for being here for the ones who need you the most the animals!

I have adopted all 3 of my furbabies from Yavapai Humane Society. 10 years ago I adopted Pooh Bear and a year later, Tigger came home with me... (both are cats) ~ About 4 1/2 years ago I adopted my precious Cassidy Roo (a German Shepherd/Chihuahua) mix. The people who assisted with all the adoptions were great and the place was spotless. It was just such a happy place and not at all like the typical TV version of an animal shelter. The animals were all being walked and out playing and truly being loved! All of this, along with many more wonderful things I learned about Yavapai Humane Society are why I came to work here almost 2 years ago. It is an honor and a pleasure to work at a place that truly believes in what they do... "Caring for animals isn't just what we do, It's who we are".

My wife picked an absolutely amazing doggie from the Yavapai Humane Society. When she brought him home and I saw him for the first time it was love at first site. I know now when my wife is mad at me and that is often I will always have a friend to turn to.

About six weeks ago I lost my dog to cancer. , she was a rescue dog, and my grandkids gave her to me. She was a part of the family for twelve years. Three days ago I checked the Yavapai website and saw they had a dog that seemed to be just what we were looking for, a year and a half old, medium size dog. We went to look at her and decided she was the dog we wanted. She is an Australian Cattle dog named Camile. The good people at the shelter went out of their way to assist us in adopting this dog. She is still a puppy and has her puppy ways, but she is also a very intelligent dog, has learned to use the doggy door to come in and out, has learned to sit on command, and I will be working with her with basic obedience training. She has found her forever home with us, and will be a valued member of this family. I can't say enough good things about the people at the shelter, they love animals, that is obvious. The volunteers there are very helpful, and gave us the dog's history as much that they knew of it. If you are looking to adopt a pet, I highly recommend the Yavapai Humans society.

Matt was so compassionate and mindful of my cat that was dying. He made sure that my cat and I were as comfortable as possible. He gave me the option of having her an explained everything and it really made a difference for me to understand what to expect. Matt gave me time before and after to spend with my dear cat and I am so grateful for having this experience instead of what I went through years ago with another elderly pet.

What an amazing organization! We need more of this. They save so many little lives and we are so appreciative for them. Thank you for all of your hard wok!

After looking for a Humane Society to take lost dogs to, I came across Yavapai Humane Society. They have a great staff, very friendly and welcoming. I knew the pups were in great hands.

My mother in law adopted her pooch from YHS ! The staff were wonderful and the entire family is in love with Sable!

This is a very professional and organized staff which benefits both the animals and customers.

Fantastic organization that truly believes in its mission. They truly love and care about each one of their animals, and this is evident as they go the extra mile for those pets that need extra medical care or just a little more TLC. They do their best to find each animal a great home, but they aren't judgmental if a home doesn't work out and the animal has to be brought back. I had to surrender a dog that was not a good fit for my home and my kids, no matter how hard we tried. I agonized over the decision to surrender her- feeling like I had failed this sweet dog. But I was treated only with kindness as I brought her in. Then later I discovered that she was adopted out within the week of arrival to a wonderful home. I'm so glad we have YHS as a resource in our community. They also have great programs for low cost spay/neuter and a wellness clinic. Keep up the great work!

This is the best shelter in our area. They always work so hard to keep it clean and to make sure these dogs and cats are happy. YHS works very hard to make sure these animals find loving forever homes. The staff is very friendly and does they're best to match you with the best pet possible.

Yavapai Humane Society is a fantastic non-profit committed to finding homes for dogs, cats, and horses in our community. They always do a fantastic job with their community events, and I like that they work with local animal control so pets can have a safe place to go if they escape your backyard. I personally found my best friend at YHS, and would encourage anyone to rescue a pet versus buying from a breeder.

Yavapai Humane Society is a place where so many members of the community come in daily, weekly, or monthly to volunteer their time to these wonderful animals. YHS has volunteers to assist with clerical, cuddling cats, walking dogs, adoption events, finding animals homes, foster care, and I am sure more "behind the scenes" opportunities. So often we think of Yavapai Humane Society as a place to adopt cats, dogs, and now horses. We also think of the great staff that is there to help out in so many ways. In addition to those wonderful aspects of YHS there is also this dedicated group of volunteers that enjoy what they do and look forward to coming to YHS and helping out this organization! Yavapai Humane Society is an all around great non profit animal shelter.

We adopted our Rottweiler mix 2 years ago. Of course he is a wonderful dog and an important part of the family. The staff and volunteers were great. They knew Jack (Denver) and had worked with him. They were excited both for us and the dog. They have opened an adoption and care for facility for horses and other hoofed animals.

They are also involved in the community - offering educational and adoption outreaches. When people had to evacuate their homes this summer because of fire and flooding, YHS worked with the Red Cross to provide shelter for the animals as well as their owners. They were the drop off point for food and supplies for the animals.

We lost our older dog a month ago, and when we are ready we will be heading back to YHS to find an addition to our family.

As an employee of Yavapai Humane Society I know how much our staff cares about the animals and the people we serve. We are proud of our No Kill ethic and we know we couldn't sustain a No Kill shelter without the help of our compassionate community. I enjoy working for a cause I believe in, but ultimately I would love to be out of work because we found every pet a good home.

I adopted a cat from YHS earlier in the year. The staff was caring and wonderful and made sure that it was the right match for both Tucker and us! Tucker is amazing and wonderful and we adore him! Thank you, YHS, for making sure that we got a wonderful new family member! He is perfect for us and he seems to be happy in his new home as well!

We adopted our Aussie border cross 6 years ago and he is still going strong. One of the best decisions we made was to come to Yavapai Humane Society and find our next fur baby. The staff was helpful and caring. We now adopt instead of go to breeders for our house pets.

YHS works hard around the clock to make sure their animals are well cared for and the facility stays clean for both the animals and the customers. From newborn kittens and puppies all the way to the golden ages, every cat and dog there receives the best love and care from each and every employee and volunteer until they find their forever home. YHS has excellent staff and a wonderful facility. I adopted both of my loving little fluffballs from here, and highly recommend them to anyone who is looking for a new furry family member!

YHS is a great organization with knowledgeable staff and dedicated volunteers. Everyone there is full of compassion and does everything they can to look out for the well fare and quality of life for the animals in their care. This organization isn't only dedicated to the well being of the animals in their care, but to all the public. They offer low cost vaccines, spay and neuter services with knowledgeable technicians and veterinarians through their clinic to the public; as well as, always willing to give helpful advice. They have even recently expanded their reach to helping horses with their newly opened equine center. I have not only had the pleasure of adopting animals from this wonderful facility, but working there too! Couldn't imagine a better place to be full of hope, love, dedication, and compassion!

YHS is an amazing organization, with a great team of professionals and volunteers. I adopted my beautiful dog Cally, and my beautiful cat Lucy from YHS. They are two of the most amazing animals I've ever had. I've also had the privilege of working at YHS for the past two years, and I'm proud to be a part of an organization with a great mission and vision. We have an amazing clinic and our behavior team is always available to answer questions or make suggestions about your new pet. We truly have the most amazing animals at YHS and they're ready for their forever home. Please come and visit us!

I adopted my Bernese Mountain dog mix from YHS about 5 years ago. The facility was great then. I recently came back and adopted two cats and, WOW, they have been working hard to upgrade their facilities and programs. It far exceeded what I would have expected from a "small town" operation. Kudos to all that has been and all that is currently happening at YHS!

YHS is an amazing organization with great staff and wonderful volunteers who's compassion and love for the animals shows day in and day out. Having the live release rate they do is evident of the job done there and I am thankful that we has a community have a shelter like this in Yavapai County. Keep up the great work.

I am very thankful for this shelter and hope many more shelters with open-door policies will come to emulate its no-kill ethic best as they can...

I first visited the Yavapai Humane Society almost three years ago to add a cat member to my family. I was so pleased with the facility, staff, and volunteers that I ended up gaining employment at YHS months later. I have been with this organization for over two years, and although I will be leaving soon due to relocation, this organization will always hold a special place in my heart. They have a solid mission and wonderful staff members and volunteers to lead the way.

We adopted our hound mix from Yavapai Humane Society about two months ago and they were so helpful in our process! We went in wanting N to know about two other dogs and met one other before we found our Indy. The guy at the front desk was so helpful and ready to tell us anything and everything he could about every dog we asked about. We found a new member of our family that day and we could t be more grateful!

I always had cats growing up, and the two cats I adopted from Yavapai Humane Society in 2011 are the sweetest I've ever met. The volunteers and employees absolutely love the animals they care for here and make sure that they all go to a good home.

We have adopted three cats from the Yavapai Humane Society. They are the best ever. I was a volunteer at YHS for over two years and the standards of care and standards for adoption are extremely high. The staff and volunteers are dedicated to making sure all the animals are adoptable and go to their forever homes.

Both of my two dogs I have adopted from Yavapai Humane Society, and they are the best! Now I am an employee at the shelter and love working for a great cause that I believe in. I know every member of the team really cares about these animals and has so much compassion. And the volunteers are amazing, having given years of their life to this place in order to give love to the cats and dogs.

My husband and I are always impressed when we visit the Yavapai Humane Society. With every visit we can see how much the staff at YHS cares for the animals in their charge. We also really appreciate that this shelter has a no kill ethic. We know when we donate that the money is going to help every homeless pet that comes through their doors not just the highly adoptable ones.

Years before I joined the Yavapai Humane Society Board of Directors, I had a great experience with the organization, as a local resident. Nine years ago our daughter finished college and moved to Prescott, Arizona where my wife and I lived. She wanted to adopt a pet. We made several visits together to the Yavapai Humane Society and she did not find the exact dog she wanted to adopt. One day she went by herself and asked to spend some time with a small white Chihuaha that weighed about 2 and a half pounds. Sara sat down and the dog climbed into her lap. This was a match made in heaven. Sara adopted her and named her Mini, reflecting her tiny size. The staff was patient with Sara and took care of her while she went through her search for the perfect pet. This has been a great love affair between Sara and Mini.

About a year ago, I was invited to join the Board of Directors at Yavapai Humane Society. Never in my wildest dreams did I expect to find an Executive Director and a Board that operated at such a high level of Commitment to serving a community and fulfilling such a noble cause. I now can see from the inside the incredible service and commitment to the no kill ethic that I first experienced as a customer and resident nine years earlier. It has been a privilege for me to be on both sides of this equation. First to be served by this organization and then to come back and serve the community as part of a greater Team with such a high level of commitment to service.

Steve Siegel

We are volunteer "fosters" for kittens. This has been a wonderful experience because the staff at YHS has been supportive, caring and immediately responsive when we had questions or problems. They have always answered our (sometimes silly) questions quickly and clearly. The result is our fosters get adopted quickly. It is a team effort.

After losing our kitty to cancer, we ventured into YHS to see if we could find a new one that would click. We found little Lily, a 3-month old gray and white bundle of love. It didn't take her long to settle into our home. She is full of spunk and her days are filled with endless playing and naps to recover from all her spent energy.

Lily

My boyfriend Jim Flower adopted Woody in November 2014 following a long hiatus from owning a dog after his beloved Jake had passed on. I found Woody at YHS and knew he was the dog for Jim. He's been such a love to Jim and filled the void that Jake left behind. Today he is a handsome, healthy black lab, affectionate to the core and forever grateful for his forever home!

My wife and I began as dog walkers in 2007 purely for my love of dogs. We had done the same thing for the city pound for about 2 years prior to that. The YHS organization was not doing well financially at the time and was relying on euthanasia to control the number of animals that it housed. We made many friends among the other volunteers during our first 3 years. In 2010 one of the other dog walkers asked me if I would be interested in serving on the Board of Directors. I joined the Board and became the Treasurer in the first quarter of 2010. We hired Ed Boks as the new Executive Director at the same time. With the new proactive Board working closely with Ed Boks positive changes began almost immediately. The work began to spread in the local animal welfare community that we were evolving into the kind of organization that got things done. We contracted with the Cities of Prescott and Prescott Valley as well as the County of Yavapai to handle all of their impounded animals in one central location. We began holding many successful public events and our reputation grew. By 2013 our finances had become stable and Ed Boks' "No Kill" policy was getting national attention. One of our ongoing goals was and has been raising our staff's compensation to a "Market Level." We have succeeded in that respect and are still trying to create an atmosphere for our employees that is career oriented. I am proud to have been associated with the Yavapai Humane Society for the past 7-plus years. Our reputation has now progressed to the national level.

Stephen L Dinneen

The Yavapai Humane Society is truly a great organization. The board, administrators and employees work together as a supportive team that has facilitated YHS in achieving the well-deserved recognition as one of the safest animal shelters in the nation. The specific data that supports this great distinction would not be possible without the outstanding leadership of the dedicated Director and entire staff. The organization has well-defined missions statements and yearly goals and objectives that everyone on staff is involved with. Long term goals and strategies are well- maintained so that YHS will continue to provide the high level of services to our community for decades to come.
Rob Ratner
Board of Directors

I have had the opportunity to serve in numerous executive management positions, and I can say without reservation that the Yavapai Humane Society (YHS) is one of the best-managed and most compassionate organizations that I've had the pleasure of serving. With a 97% Live Release Rate, YHS is obviously committed to the well-being of the animals in its care, but what really differentiates this organization are the numerous programs in place that also take care of the needs of the surrounding communities.

Programs like Seniors for Seniors (a program that matches senior pets from YHS with senior adults), Low-Cost Spay and Neuter, Humane Education, Safety Net (helping pets and their families stay together during difficult financial times or dislocations, hospitalizations, evictions, domestic violence displacements and other sad situations), and Second Chance Medical (designed to provide needed veterinary care to injured or sick animals whose owners are unable to afford normal veterinary rates) and many others show a dedication to both the animals and the people who love them.

As a volunteer Board Member, I am very impressed with the staff's commitment to animal care as evidenced by the 97% live release rate over the past several years. I am extremely proud to be involved with the safest Shelter in the Country.

The Clinic staff includes both medical and animal behavior evaluations so that all animals can be adopted by appropriate Adopters, greatly reducing animal returns to YHS. In addition, staff and volunteers are trained in animal care and handling to minimize animal stress, minimize animal and human injuries and promotes the proper animal/human interaction. Weekly training sessions promote and reinforce proper animal care. New staff and volunteers undergo additional training so that they are rapidly integrated into YHS best practices.

YHS employs an innovative budgeting process to establish each year's budget from the "ground up" so that all revenue and expense streams are fully described and shared with all staff. All staff are strongly encouraged to identify and champion cost saving ideas in all ares of YHS operations and a cost saving sharing policy is in place to reward all staff for these ideas.

Over the past 4+ years, YHS has performed over 16,000 low cost (sometimes free) spay and neuter operations. In the YHS service area, YHS estimates that over 60% of all cats and dogs have been spayed or neutered, greatly reducing the number of stray or unwanted animals. The 16,000 YHS operations represent over one-third of the total spay and neuter operations in the YHS service area.

jk

I have been on the Board of the Yavapai Humane Society since 2010. This organization is now one of the premier animal welfare organizations in the country, boasting a 97% LRR. I personally adopted a small dog that most organizations would have euthanized at first contact. She had been abandoned in a rural setting for months and it was questionable whether she would ever recover. Through the efforts of the YHS medical and kennel team, she did recover and has been a joy to our household. Our adoption story is not unique, it happens every day at YHS. This organization deserves to be recognized for the great work it does.
GH

This place is in terrible management. The dogs are being mistreated by staff members who have little or no experience. I have seen these staff members grab the dogs by the neck and pull them across the kennels. I understand that they are trying to improve things by hiring new people. Whoever is responsible for the hiring doesn't seem to have a clue what a dog person is. If they want to improve things this person should be removed asap! This place needs people who understand dog behavior to be able to say that they care!

I volunteer as a dog walker, and I assist my husband who is a volunteer photographer of dogs looking for new homes. This is a wonderful place. The dogs have a decent place to live, they get walks, attention, and enrichment from volunteers and staff. When we were asked to assist by photographing dogs, we were hesitant to do so because we did not want to see dogs locked in cages - not so! We were amazed at how decent the kennels are.

Yavapai Humane Society bottle fed 5 kittens which were found under a hot tub. 3 of those did not make it. When we adopted the remaining 2, they had been beautifully fostered and were so loving that one was given the name Lovebug, the other is Sylvie Short Tail. YHS does so much to try to promote adoption including 2 for 1 cat sales. We ended up with 3 kittens from this sale who have made life so much more fun! The facility is well run, clean, and every precaution is taken to ensure the health of the animals. I know when I donate to YHS that the money or supplies will be used wisely.