In a year and a half of working at the Lawrence Humane Society, I've seen over a thousand animals come through our doors. I've been humbled and inspired by the work we do for these animals. As a member of the medical team, I work especially with the animals whose stories are often heart-wrenching. They limp to our doors with wounds, injuries, and illness; they arrive emaciated, covered in fleas, with coats patchworked by mange. I am often awed by how these animals, in the face of pain, in the aftermath of human neglect or even abuse, still have so much love to give. It's incredibly rewarding to shepherd an animal through these challenges, sometimes over the course of months, to the moment when they find new and loving homes. 

Our staff does an incredible amount of work for these animals, but I've also often been frustrated by the limitations imposed by our facility. Despite the fact that we frequently perform more than fifteen or twenty surgeries a day, our clinic is tiny. We don't have many diagnostic resources at all -- there's no space for them. And when it comes to infectious disease, the building works against us; no matter how scrupulous we are about prevention, we have no true isolation facilities, and every week some animals fall ill with upper respiratory infections, which lengthens their time with us and delays their ability to find a new home. I'm very, very proud of the work we do; but we could do so, so much more if only we had a bigger building with appropriate and up-to-date medical facilities. The number of lives we could save, and the human and animals in our community we could help, would double or triple.

I've set up this page so that you can help that goal become a reality. Please consider making a contribution to a place that has changed my life, a place that has changed so many other lives, and has the opportunity to do even more. We are so close to the fundraising goal needed to break ground on a new building, and any amount you can give will help the animals and famlies of Lawrence, and our dedicated, hard-working staff. 

Every pet deserves a happy, healthy life. For more than 3,800 lost and homeless animals in our community each year, that chance begins at the Lawrence Humane Society.

The Lawrence Humane Society is a critically-needed local resource for Douglas County and Lawrence, but is being held back by limitations of an aging, inadequate, and failing facility that is long overdue for replacement. By building a new, state-of-the-art shelter facility, the benefits to both pets and people are clear: more lives will be saved; the number of homeless and abandoned animals will be reduced; and most importantly, families will be strengthened -- by having the space to find the right home for every pet, and by helping keep pets and people together for the long-haul.

We need the community's help to make this project a reality.

Whether you can chip in $5 or $5,000, every dollar will make a difference to the thousands of animals that will receive care, life-saving medical treatment, and love in our new facility. Donate now or become a fundraiser to help us reach our $7.5 million fundraising goal by the end of 2017.

Want to make a bigger impact? Set up a personal fundraising page of your own and get involved ... for them! Click here for personal page setup instructions!

Learn more about the FOR THEM Capital Campaign by clicking here.