About Us
HSHPE cares for stray, surrendered, neglected and abused animals in Hastings and Prince Edward Counties. The Society returns lost animals to families, coordinates adoption of animals to forever homes, provides medical care and other necessities for animals in distress, provides spay/neuter services to control pet over-population and educates the public about animal welfare.
Your friendly, locally-run and professionally-staffed shelter.
HSHPE is a community-based shelter, with a staff of 17, including a team of registered veterinary technicians and administrators. We are guided by a Board of Directors comprised of local residents who volunteer their expertise to our organization.
A Network of Partnerships
We are affiliated with the Ontario SPCA as a community partner. This partnership, which began in 1993, helps ensure that we maintain the highest standards in animal care and shelter management. We also maintain a large network of relationships with shelters and rescue organizations across Canada.
HSHPE is also affiliated with Provincial Animal Welfare Services (PAWS). PAWS is Ontario’s animal welfare enforcement system, which came into effect on January 1, 2020. HSHPE cares for animals seized in Hastings and Prince Edward Counties under the Provincial Animal Welfare Act.
Our mission: To promote the prevention of cruelty to animals that are neglected, abused, exploited, stray or homeless. To work within the law and in cooperation with the government, OSPCA and the public, in order to improve conditions for animals while maintaining a balanced sensitivity toward both animal and human needs.
Community Services
Under our pound contracts with local municipalities, HSHPE also receives stray, lost and surrendered animals. We make every attempt to reunite lost animals with their owners and care for injured and sick animals in our care. We find new forever homes for hundreds of strays, unclaimed and surrendered animals each year. Learn more about our services.
A Low-Kill Shelter
We are aware that there is some misunderstanding about euthanasia at low-kill shelters such as ours. Our prime motivation is the humane treatment of animals. There is NO time limit on an animal’s stay, once it is put up for adoption at Humane Society Hastings Prince Edward and we and our veterinary partners treat animals who come to us injured so that they can heal.
Euthanasia is always the very last resort and is never considered unless:
- The animal is very aggressive and/or has severely attacked a person or other animal and this poses a risk to staff, volunteers or the public.
- The animal has an untreatable illness and its quality of life is significantly diminished.
We do not euthanize animals because our shelter is full. We work with many partners across the province and transfer to other shelters and rescues in order to deal with over population in our facility.
Questions?
Community funded – by people like you.
Humane Society Hastings Prince Edward (HSHPE) is a provincially incorporated non-profit and federally registered charity serving Hastings and Prince Edward Counties. Our community-based shelter provides a safe and caring place for as many as 1,800 sick, abused, neglected and homeless animals each year.
We are affiliated with the Ontario Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (OSPCA), but remain a locally-run, locally-funded shelter. We are not a government agency and receive no base funding from the provincial or the federal government.
The gap between the cost of care for each animal and the adoption fee we receive is typically hundreds of dollars (approximately $345 for cats and $185 for dogs). This funding gap is met by donations, sponsorships, fundraising events and fees for services provided to local municipalities through Pound Contracts and to the Province of Ontario through the PAWS (Provincial Animal Welfare Services).
