West Valley Humane Society receives lifesaving grant amid financial crises

Founded in 2011, the West Valley Humane Society (WVHS) serves nearly 9,000 animals in Canyon County and surrounding areas annually. Recently, the organization has faced financial challenges due to a decrease in adoptions, post-pandemic return to the office, and a surge in popularity of “designer” pets from breeders. This has led to an increase in shelter populations.

In contrast, inflation and rising wages increase the cost of care, putting the humane society’s ability to maintain the same level of service at risk, according to a West Valley Humane Society Press Release.

Best Friends Animal Society awarded a sizable grant to the humane society on July 1 to support their mission of ending the killing of dogs and cats within shelters.

“Twenty-six of Idaho’s 30 animal shelters have already met the no-kill benchmark, and West Valley Humane Society has been a powerful no-kill leader and example for their region and the entire state,” Holly Sizemore, Chief Mission Officer for Best Friends Animal Society, said. “It’s been a challenging time for shelters across the country, as we’ve seen adoptions slow, and shelters struggle to maintain lifesaving programs. However, we also know that the key factor in getting to and maintaining no-kill is the support of community members and WVHS supports continue to step up and are a tremendous asset to the shelter and to the community.”

For Idaho to meet the no-kill benchmark as well as be the first no-kill state in the West, 412 more cats and dogs need to be saved this year over last year. In 2023, 34,000 Idaho cats and dogs were saved, and nearly 7,000 were saved by West Valley.

“We are so grateful for the amazing contributions our community has made to WVHS and to the animals and people we serve,” Caleb Smith, West Valley Humane Society Board President, said. “Unfortunately, we had to make the tough decision to lay off a number of the valued members of our staff as we work through our current financial situation. The generous support from Best Friends Animal Society is a positive first step in ensuring that we are able to maintain the quality of care our community has come to expect from us.”

WVHS continues to provide the highest level of care possible and save animals. They rely on community members’ support to ensure that shelter services remain available.

To volunteer, foster a pet, or donate, visit westvalleyhumanesociety.org.