The Maui Humane Society, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, has been in existence for 66 years and is the only open-admission animal shelter on the island of Maui. Our mission is “to protect and save the lives of Maui’s animals, accepting all in need, educating the community, and inspiring respect and compassion towards all animals”. Each year MHS helps thousands of animals, taking in over 6,000 animals to the shelter and serving many times that number through community outreach programs. Equally important, through our programs and services, we provide support for Maui’s approximately 90,000 pet owners as well as Animal Management Services for the County of Maui.

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In 2014, a new CEO assumed the leadership of Maui Humane Society. Chief Executive Officer Jerleen Bryant and her management team have exhibited a clear and determined vision of where MHS needs to go and how to get there. In addition, they have assembled an exceptional staff passionately devoted to the MHS mission and have created an organizational culture that fosters collaboration, teamwork and problem-solving. This combination of dedicated staff, teamwork, and strategic vision has raised the bar and enabled the organization to save more animal lives than ever before by developing innovative programs to enhance the quality and availability of animal welfare services on Maui.

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Each of Maui Humane Society’s new and innovative programs has had a major positive impact on pet owners, animal lovers, and the island's animal population. The capacity of MHS to provide year-round, no and low cost spay/neuter surgeries has doubled over the last two years due to the addition of a second veterinarian, the MASH (Mobile Animal Surgical Hospital) no cost spay/neuter clinics, and expansion of the MHS veterinary clinic. Shelter intake has fallen each of the last four years showing that spay neuter efforts are having the desired effect of decreasing the number of litters born on Maui. Live Release Rates (the number of animals leaving the shelter alive, with a positive outcome) have dramatically increased thanks to expanded programs which promote adoptions, reunite lost pets with their owners, and relocate animals to adoption-guaranteed rescues and shelters both locally and on the Mainland. Live release rates are now greater than 90% for both dogs and cats-- a dramatic improvement when compared to FY14 LRR of 67.4% for dogs and 21.2% for cats. Programs to enrich the lives of shelter animals and to meet the needs of each individual animal by identifying and responding to behavioral and medical barriers that would prevent the animal from being adopted, have been newly instituted. The Humane Enforcement Department has been reorganized so that emphasis is on enforcement officers being a visible and action-oriented force, available 24/7, who enforce animal-related laws, prevent animal cruelty and enhance animal care and safety by educating the community about animal needs. A facilities improvement program aimed at creating a safe and comfortable environment for animals and staff has transformed Maui Humane Society into a welcoming, family-friendly place for people to visit, adopt, donate and volunteer. The response from the community to these changes has been overwhelmingly positive as reflected in increased adoptions, contributions and most importantly people donating their time and efforts as volunteers and foster parents.

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Maui Humane Society also partners with Maui’s public and private sector to provide services and to enhance community life. Partnerships include:

• Providing animal management services to the County of Maui. MHS is proud of the partnership with County government and feels that the shared commitment has resulted in profound and positive impacts on the lives of both animals and humans in our community.

• Offering schools and community groups educational presentations for every age group on a wide variety of animal-related topics with the goal of providing Maui’s people with the information and resources needed to advocate compassion and respect for all living creatures and to become responsible pet owners. Classroom presentations and shelter tours are available for all schools on the island. MHS also offers students the opportunity to fulfill community service hours and provides mentorship for school projects. Animal Camp, a program for grades 2-5, is held year-round during official school breaks and includes exposure to shelter animals, play activities and instruction on responsible pet ownership.

• Cooperating with other animal advocacy groups, both local and national

• Partnering with the Red Cross and County Civil Defense to provide pet-friendly emergency shelters during natural disasters

• Acting as veterinary inspectors for the State of Hawaii’s Quarantine Direct Release Program at Kahului Airport.

 

The nature of Maui Humane Society’s work—matching humans with animal companions and caring for the animal lives placed in our care—means that the Aloha Spirit of treating all living creatures, both human and animal, with deep respect, compassion and kindness is part of MHS’s fundamental mission and core values. The Aloha Spirit is exemplified by the love and excellent care each of the shelter animals receives. Staff is trained to address the many, often emotional, needs of people interacting with animals. Sometimes it’s a happy occasion such as reuniting a lost pet with its owner or helping someone find the perfect match when adopting a new dog or cat. Other shelter visits may be sad-- relinquishing a much-loved animal, making difficult end of life decisions, or bringing in a homeless stray-- - but the MHS staff is dedicated to responding to each situation with sensitivity and compassion.

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At Maui Humane Society we are proud of our programs and services. We work diligently to find new forever homes for Maui’s homeless animals and to help people find ways to keep the animals they love in their homes. We envision the day when every animal on Maui will have a loving home and we dedicate ourselves to protecting and nourishing the human-animal bond which we feel makes for a better and kinder society.