2025 was a powerful year for the Humane Society for Southwest Washington. Together with our supporters, staff, and volunteers, we served more than 16,000 animals last year - an increase of more than 60% from the year before!

Every Number is a Story

16,000 is an impressive number, but it’s more than a statistic. It represents thousands of animals who found safety, medical care, and compassion when they needed it most. It’s the dog reunited with a worried family, the kitten adopted into a loving home, the pets who received essential veterinary care that helped them stay with the people who love them. Each of those 16,000 lives tells a story of hope, healing, and a community coming together to make lifesaving care possible.

Our Annual Report shares the full story, but here are a few highlights that show the real impact behind the numbers.

A Year of Impact

In 2025…

• More than 16,000 animals were served through our shelters and community programs - an increase of over 60% from the year before.
• 8,944 animals came into our shelters and received care, compassion, and a second chance.
• 5,744 pets were adopted, finding loving homes across Southwest Washington.
• 1,156 lost pets were reunited with their families, turning stressful moments into joyful homecomings.
• 5,830 animals were served through our community medicine program, helping ensure the animals in our community are happy, healthy, and safe.
• The average length of stay for an animal at HSSW was just 10.7 days, helping animals move quickly from shelter to home.
• Our shelter medicine teams performed 19,828 consults and exams and 5,634 spay/neuter surgeries. 
• 227,738 free pet meals were distributed to support families facing financial hardship.
• 777 pets belonging to people experiencing houselessness received care at Free Wellness Clinics, a 41.7% increase from the previous year.

Read the full 2025 Annual Report to explore more lifesaving statistics and stories from the year.

2025 Annual Report

Your Support Makes Our Work Possible

Our impact is possible thanks the people behind the numbers. To our dedicated staff, tireless volunteers, generous donors, welfare partners, and the supporters who believe in this work: you make these lifesaving moments happen. Together, you are the reason thousands of animals have a brighter future.

April 21–27 is National Volunteer Week, a time to recognize and celebrate the dedicated volunteers who make lifesaving work possible for pets and people in our community.

At HSSW, volunteers are essential partners in everything we do. From walking dogs and caring for cats to fostering pets, supporting our veterinary clinic, helping at ReTails Thrift Store, and more, volunteers are with us every day.

Behind every adoption, every rescue, and every second chance is a volunteer who showed up and gave their all. Their dedication doesn’t just support our mission – it is our mission in action.

A Lifesaving Impact, Powered by Volunteers

In 2025 we served more than 16,000 animals in our community. Volunteers made that work possible. Here are just a few of the many ways volunteers made a difference for animals…

• 1,266 volunteers supported our work
• Volunteers contributed 131,974 hours of service
• The estimated of volunteer hours exceeded $4.9 million in labor costs
• Load after load of dirty dishes and laundry were completed by volunteers – ensuring every animal in our care had healthy food and a warm place to sleep
• 1,487 pets received care in foster homes thanks to volunteer fosters
• Through dog walks and cat care, volunteers provided direct support to the animals, ensuring they had the support they needed while staying at HSSW

Impact Beyond the Shelter

The reach of volunteers extends far beyond our shelter walls. Volunteers help connect families to essential services like spay/neuter surgeries, bagging and distributing free pet food, and representing HSSW at community events. This support strengthens the safety net for animals across Southwest Washington and makes our community a safer, happier, and more humane place.

With Deep Gratitude

National Volunteer Week gives us the opportunity to pause and reflect - but our appreciation for volunteers lasts all year long.

To every volunteer who gave their time, opened their home, learned a new skill, or stepped in wherever help was needed: thank you. Your dedication, kindness, and generosity make our work possible and our community more compassionate.

Be Part of the Lifesaving Impact

Inspired by what volunteers can accomplish together? There’s a place for you on our team! Learn more about volunteering at the link below. 

Become a Volunteer

Together, we are creating lifesaving change - one volunteer, one animal, and one act of kindness at a time.

Walk/Run is just over two weeks away and we're making progress to our goal, but we need your help to get there. 

Walk/Run for the Animals is more than a fun day in the park - it's a critical fundraiser that saves animal lives and makes our community a happier, safer, and more humane place. When you support Walk/Run, you provide medical care, shelter, and a second chance for thousands of animals like Esteban.

Walk/Run for the Animals

Saturday, May 2 | Downtown Vancouver Waterfront Park

Support for Esteban

When he arrived at HSSW, Esteban had an upper respiratory infection and an eye condition called entropion, in which the eyelids curl inward, causing painful irritation of the eyes. While he was otherwise healthy, he was uncomfortable and needed help. 

Our veterinary team treated Esteban's upper respiratory infection and when he was feeling better, they performed surgery on both of his eyes to correct his entropion. Esteban's quality of life immediately improved after his surgery - he felt better, he could see better, and he was ready to find the loving home he deserves. 

Today, Esteban is at our Vancouver Campus, waiting to find his new family. And while he waits, our team is here to ensure he is loved and cared for until he finds the loving home he deserves. 

Lifesaving Care, Made Possible by You

When you register for Walk/Run and raise funds, you support work that truly saves lives in our community. With medical care, shelter, behavior support and more - you make second chances happen. 

Register today and help us save animal lives. 

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