The Humane Society of Northwest Louisiana (HSNWLA) was established in August of 1997 by volunteers to address the concerns and needs of animals in our area.
We are a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization. All donations are tax deductible. Our federal tax ID number is 72-1396136. The HSNWLA is 100% dependent on donations. We do not receive any government funding or funding from any other charity organization. The work we do to eliminate the suffering of animals is paid for entirely by community support.
We are working towards building our own Humane Society shelter but it is several years down the road. In the meantime, we foster animals in our homes and our volunteers' homes and bring animals from our local Parish shelter to adoptions on the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 4th Saturdays of each month at our local Petco store.
We would love to have you as a part of our organization! We can find something for everyone to do, from answering our hotline to transporting animals. Please consider joining our organization, and make a difference in the life of an animal. All membership dues and donations are tax deductible.
For those who are already members, we want to remind you that your membership is very important to us. Your membership dues allow us to continue our mission of preventing the suffering of animals.
We appreciate your love and support for the innocent ones who cannot speak for themselves.
OUR ACTIVITIES INCLUDE:
MONTHLY MEETING
Held the 2nd Tuesday of each month, 7:00 p.m., at our Humane Society Office, 3511 Youree Drive, Shreveport. Please give us a call if you need directions.
ADOPTION DAYS
We bring animals from shelters & foster homes to PETCO (70th St. & Youree) every 1st, 2nd, 3rd, & 4th Saturdays from 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
EARLY SPAY/NEUTER PROGRAM
We have and will continue to issue hundreds of spay/neuter vouchers to low-income pet owners in the NWLA area.
AREA DISASTER PLAN
We help animals in need during area disasters. We have partnered with the Louisiana Veterinary Medical Association to assist the Red Cross with evacuated pets during hurricanes or other natural disasters.
RABIES CLINICS
We work with area veterinarians to provide low-cost rabies shot clinics in our area neighborhoods.
FOSTER HOMES
We are in great need of people to foster animals until they can be adopted. If interested, please contact us at (318) 219-7387!
Annual Membership dues are as follows:
Patron $250 or more Angel $100 to $249 Friend $50 to $99 Active $20 to $49
We hope you will join us. Please mail your check to:
Humane Society of NW Louisiana P. O. Box 52442 Shreveport, LA 71135-2442
Be sure to include your name, address, and phone number!
MAKE A DIFFERENCE TODAY!
Here are just a few ways to make a difference in the life of an animal today:
BECOME A MEMBER of HSNWLA
Show your support and that you care about animals - JOIN TODAY!
BECOME A VOLUNTEER
HSNWLA is an all volunteer organization ... WE NEED YOU!
For more information contact our Volunteer Coordinator -Kay Robinson - (318) 518-5756.
BECOME A FOSTER PARENT
Foster parents are key to our success. We do not have a shelter, so we can only help as many animals as we have fosters for. For more information,
call us at (318) 219-7387.
HELP SAVE LIVES ... MAKE A ONE-TIME OR RECURRING DONATION
What if you could do something about the plight of homeless and abandoned animals? Well, now you can. The Humane Society of Northwest Louisiana is raising funds to support our early Spay/Neuter program and to pay for the medical care of animals we rescue. We depend solely on you, our friends, for our funding and support. The HSNWLA is an all-volunteer organization. All donations are tax deductable and 100% of your donation goes to helping animals in Northwest Louisiana.
MAKE A DONATION NOW!
Buy or sell on eBay to support our organization - Click below
THE IMPORTANCE OF SPAYING & NEUTERING
A kitten or a puppy is a pleasant addition to a family, but when it matures and starts having litters of kittens or puppies, these litters, and even the cat or dog, sometimes become unwanted. Most people don't mean to be cruel to animals. Some pet-owners let unwanted kittens and puppies off on their own to give them a "running chance," so to speak, rather than have them face possible euthanization at the pound or shelter. The cruel fact is that the abandoned animal, whether living in a home that really doesn't want it or fending for itself in the fields or streets, doesn't stand a chance. Some abandoned pets starve to death. They contract disease by rummaging through garbage or become victims of other painful deaths. The ones that are presented to shelters are well cared for but, unfortunately, given the difficulty of finding adoptive homes, millions of cats and dogs are euthanized within two weeks of being rescued.
According to the Humane Society of the United States...
5 million dogs and cats are killed yearly in U.S. shelters. That is 13,800 every day or 575 dogs and cats killed every hour, 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
In six years, one female dog and her off spring can theoretically be the source of 67,000 dogs.
In seven years, one female cat and her off spring can theoretically be the source of 420,000 cats.
Prevention is the answer!
The best way to prevent senseless cruelties to animals is to preclude the birth of unwanted litters. Spaying female dogs and cats and neutering the males is the most effective solution to the pet overpopulation problem. Communities which actively promote spay/neuter programs significantly decrease the numbers of animals having to be destroyed.
Benefits of altering your pets
Your pet will be healthier!
Your female dog or cat will not suffer the stress and frustration of heat periods and will face much less risk of developing cancer of the breast or serious infections of the uterus.
Your male dog will be less inclined to fight other animals and will face much less risk of developing prostate infections or prostate cancer.
Spayed/neutered animals will have less tendency to roam away from your property.
Contrary to popular belief, your altered pet will not become fat and lazy unless you overfeed and/or underexercise it.
It will retain its zest for life and all the characteristics that you acquired it for.
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While many people may be familiar with the term "puppy mill" few are aware of the magnitude of the horrors associated with them. Puppy mills are facilities that mass-produce puppies for sale to individuals or for pet stores throughout the country as well as to emerging foreign markets. From back yard breeders to those selling via the Internet, thousands of puppy mills aren't even regulated or inspected by the USDA since they sell directly to the public. At present a USDA license is required for anyone with four or more "intact bitches" who sells "wholesale" to brokers (dealers) or directly to pet stores. Whether they are born in a licensed facility or not, puppies face a dismal and uncertain fate at the hands of individuals who are motivated by greed. Some die while being transported to pet stores or shortly thereafter and others find themselves in the hands of irresponsible or abusive guardians.
Dogs used for breeding suffer an endless misery imprisoned in small cramped cages, often soiled with their own excrement, breeding litter after litter till they can no longer reproduce.
A few Midwestern states are home to the largest concentration of puppy mills in the country, the majority of which are USDA licensed. Many of the operators of these puppy mills hold other jobs and utilize mass-production methods to produce what they and government regulators consider an agricultural commodity. In a typical puppy mill the dogs are fed in the morning and again in the evening. Cleaning, sanitation and general maintenance are addressed as time permits, usually during the weekend, if at all. Most of these facilities are in rural areas and are family operated to supplement a modest income. In previous years USDA inspectors conducted at least one unannounced inspection per year at these facilities, however, federal authorities have recently adopted a "risk based" inspection program. Operators are given the opportunity to correct non-compliant items (technically, violations of federal law) that are disclosed during the inspection. If upon reinspection the violation or "non-compliant item" is not corrected, enforcement action should be taken in an effort to improve conditions at the facility. Inspection policies have deteriorated to such an extent that operators of these facilities can operate indefinitely with repeated disclosure of "non-compliant items." The emphasis has dramatically shifted from the "welfare" of the animals to commerce. A factor that no doubt has contributed to this phenomenon is the decline in traditional small family farms.
Although some of the larger breeders house thousands of dogs in their facilities the average puppy mill will house between 65 and 75 animals, most housed in hutch-style cages with wire floors. Fecal matter drops to the ground below and waste accumulates beneath the cage, providing a haven for flies and other vermin. Even with fairly prompt removal of waste the ground becomes permeated with stench because the urine cannot be raked away. Dogs housed in indoor facilities endure an equally deplorable existence with ammonia vapors and odors permeating poorly ventilated buildings. Rodents, flies, and other pests plague the animals almost constantly. Solid surfaces are supposed to protect the legs of puppies; however, as they mature and scout out their surroundings feet and legs often fall through wire floors designed to allow fecal matter to fall through. The resulting injuries compound their misery. Their soft coats of fur become soiled with fecal matter that didn't drop through the cage adding insult to injury.
The unlicensed puppy mills generally sell puppies at six weeks of age while federal licensees are prohibited from selling puppies under eight weeks of age. In any case, the puppies are "harvested" and cleaned up for the trip to the broker or individual buyer. They are bathed to clean up feces and odors they have accumulated during their brief lives in the puppy mill. Pus is wiped from their sad and scared eyes just before they are shoved into whatever is convenient, with any luck an approved shipping container. An uncertain and perhaps cruel future for these babies thanks to an industry oblivious to moral and social responsibility.
Please don't buy animals from pet shops or breeders. Each puppy purchased from a pet store, a back yard breeder, or via the Internet serves an industry with no conscience. Thousands of unwanted animals of all ages and breeds are euthanized at pounds and shelters every day. Adopt and spay or neuter a shelter or other rescued animal companion to help break the cycle of suffering, misery, and death.
All 50 states and the District of Columbia have made dog fighting illegal and it is also a felony offense in all 50 states. Illegal dog fighting, however, remains a pervasive if hidden practice in many cities. Trainers prepare a dog to fight by imposing a cruel regimen on the dog from the beginning of his life. Dog fighters starve the animals in order to make them mean, beat them to make them tough, place heavy chains around their necks to increase muscle mass, and force them to run on treadmills or to endure other exhausting exercise for long periods of time.In order to foster the viciousness of dogs, trainers bait them with puppies, cats, and other small animals. "Bait dogs include small Labrador retrievers, German shepherds or mixed breeds and are often cut or stabbed and tossed in with the larger fighting dogs."(8) These dogs, having been beaten and deprived, maul the small animals to death.In dogfights themselves, dogs are forced to fight with severe injuries, often until one or more dogs are dead. Spectators force dogs to continue fighting by prodding and hitting them with sharp objects.
Trainers favor pit bulls over other dogs because pit bulls have strong jaws. Well-treated and humanely raised pit bulls are affectionate and loyal dogs. To the surprise of many people, they are also good with children. Only pit bulls bred and trained to fight become violent and dangerous animals.Those in the profession of dog fighting over-breed pit bulls, contributing to the large number of animals languishing in shelters throughout the country. Shelters euthanize many of these dogs because homes cannot be found for them.Cruelty to animals is a precursor to violence against humans. Please report any knowledge of dog fighting or other animal fighting to authorities.
CLICK HERE FOR A LIST OF CONTACTS TO REPORT DOG FIGHTING AND OTHER ANIMAL ABUSE
Animal cruelty is not only wrong—it is against the law in every state in this country! Animal abuse can also be part of a pattern of other violent acts within families and society. Abuse of any kind should be reported to the appropriate authorities immediately.
Learn to recognize animal cruelty.
Here are some signs and symptoms that we see in many of the cases we investigate:
Tick or flea infestations. Such a condition, if left untreated by a veterinarian, can lead to an animal's death. Wounds on the body. Patches of missing hair. Extremely thin, starving animals. Limping. An owner striking or otherwise physically abusing an animal. Dogs who are repeatedly left alone without food and water, often chained up in a yard. Dogs who have been hit by cars-or are showing any of the signs listed above-and have not been taken to a veterinarian. Dogs who are kept outside without shelter in extreme weather conditions. Animals who cower in fear or act aggressively when approached by their owners.
UNCHAIN YOUR DOG
Dogs are born as part of a pack. Out in the wild, wolves and other canines live, eat, and sleep with their family. Without other dogs, humans become their “pack.†If someone chained you to a tree and you could only travel a few feet wouldn’t you feel sad? A chained dog feels rejected and doesn’t understand why their best friend would just walk away and leave them there.
Imagine yourself being chained to a tree year after year. You watch the door hoping someone will come play. No one ever does. You long to run, but you can only pace. You shiver in winter and pant in summer. Eventually, you stop barking. You have given up hope.
We have many forms of entertainment: movies, music, friends. Your dog only has YOU. If you can’t give a dog a good life, should you really have one?
It is up to caring people like you to improve the lives of chained dogs. Some think, “It’s none of my business.†But it is the business of compassionate people to speak up when living creatures are treated like objects and chained to a tree. You will feel good about yourself for helping a chained dog!
Here is a list of alternatives the Humane Society of the United States has to offer to help get dogs off of chains:
Install a fence if your property does not already have one. Or consider installing a large chain-link dog run. If you install a dog run, make sure it meets these minimum space requirements. Be sure to allow extra space for a doghouse.
If you have a fence and your dog can jump over it, install a 45-degree inward extension to the top of your existing fence. Many home improvement stores sell these extensions.
If your dog digs under the fence to escape your yard, bury chicken wire to a depth of one foot below where the fence meets the ground (be sure to bend in the sharp edges). Or place large rocks at the base of the fence.
If the two previous options don’t work for your “escape artist,†consider using a cable runner or electronic fencing. These options are not perfect, but they will give your dog more freedom. Be sure to use these options only if you also have a fence that protects your dog from people and other animals.
If your dog digs where you don’t want him to (such as in a garden or flower bed), consider putting plastic garden fencing or a similar barrier around the area. Or provide your dog with his own sandbox. Bury toys in the sandbox and use positive reinforcement to teach your dog that it is okay to dig there.
Enroll your dog in an obedience class—especially if his behavior is the main reason you keep your dog outside.
SPAY OR NEUTER your dog if you haven’t already done so. A neutered dog is less likely to roam and more content to stay at home. These are safe procedures that have many health and behavioral benefits. Ask your veterinarian for more information.
Remember that dog behavior problems such as barking, chewing, and digging are often the result of a lack of stimulation. By providing your dog with proper toys, exercise, “people time,†and positive reinforcement, you may alter undesirable behaviors and teach acceptable house manners. In addition, a dog who is inside the house is much more likely to deter an intruder than a dog chained in the yard.
Please help us unchain your dog and give all animals a better life.
TIPS FOR REPORTING ANIMAL CRUELTY
If you witness animal cruelty in progress and do not know the number to the appropriate agency, CALL 911. Animal cruelty is a CRIME, and the police dispatcher will be able to determine which department should respond. Once you have found out which law enforcement agent you should speak to, it’s important to provide him or her with a concise, written, factual statement of what you observed, giving dates and approximate times whenever possible. If at all feasible, try to photograph the abusive situation and date your pictures. It would also be helpful to get short, factual written statements from other witnesses.
When you call to report animal cruelty, be sure to keep a careful record of exactly whom you contact, the date of the contacts and the content and outcome of your discussion. Never give away a document without making a copy for your file! Make it clear to the agent that you are very interested in pursuing the case, and that you are willing to lend whatever assistance you can.FOLLOW UP IF NECESSARY
If you don’t receive a response from the officer assigned to your case within a reasonable length of time, don’t be afraid to present your information to his or her supervisor and, if necessary, to local government officials, such as the county commissioner, and ask them to act.If you have witnessed the cruel act yourself, you can go to your local police commissioner and ask to swear out a warrant to summon the accused person to court. Remember that expert witnesses are sometimes necessary in animal cruelty cases. A veterinarian, for example, can sign a statement that it is his or her “expert opinion†that a dog suffers when hit with a chain, is deprived of food, etc. Expert opinions will very often make or break a case, so if you happen to know a sympathetic veterinarian, you may wish to seek his or her assistance and tell the officer that you have expert support lined up for your case.
CLICK HERE TO REPORT WEBSITES THAT PROMOTE ANIMAL CRUELTY
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