Leon County Humane Society

08/14/2025

Have you been blessed with a Meatball sighting?

This dynamic duo goes by James and Meatball, and we've been working hard to make sure that Meatball has all he needs to be happy and healthy while his "dad" works on finding housing. Our Pet Food Pantry has helped ensure Meatball eats a quality diet, and we were recently approved for a grant to help with some veterinary costs for community members in need.

This week, we helped James and Meatball visited Animal Aid - Spay & Neuter Center, who provided treatment for arthritis pain, prevention against intestinal parasites, heartworms, and fleas, and made sure vaccinations were current. We're hoping this vetting will help secure reliable housing for these two!

Our Financial Administrator, Lynne Rahman, also led a neighborhood donation drive this week after some of James' personal belongings were stolen. She's gone above and beyond to ensure their comfort and safety, because she can see that this is a devoted pet owner and she's been inspired by their bond. It's obvious to us that Meatball is loved, and we believe he deserves to stay with the person who loves and cares for Meatball deeply - they just need support in a difficult time, and we're filled with gratitude toward our community for the ability to provide that.

If you see James and Meatball around town, make sure you say hello! If you're looking for ways to assist or donate directly to supporting this duo, email [email protected]

08/12/2025

Happy August! We've been admiring sweet Stella from Community Thrift Market, Supporting Tallahassee Action Grants, Inc. and we hope you have been too!

Stella came in 4th place in our 2024 Paw Prints Calendar Contest after raising more than $3,000 to help us in our mission to Rescue, Rehabilitate, and Educate, so that's why her gorgeous little face and tongue are featured on the month of August! From her mom/Community Thrift Market's Executive Director:

"Stella was adopted from her LCHS foster Pam Houmere. She is the canine mascot at Community Thrift Market. She came from a home with an elderly mom and dad so the shop life is very new to her. She is adjusting perfectly. Everyone loves her!

At first glance you think she's an elderly little lady - but she is faking that - she is a 5 pound little ball of energy. Her mom has a bunch of nicknames for her - p***y dunk , piggie piggie, Stella Bella, etc. Her favorite things to do are stare lovingly at her mama, eat and go to the movies. She does not enjoy leashes and prefers pooping in strange places."

For the 2025 Paw Prints Calendar Contest, Community Thrift Market, Supporting Tallahassee Action Grants, Inc. entered Bob, their shop cat who we got a preview of during Stella's Photoshoot last year when Black & Hue Photography got these amazing photos.

This month all of our star participants are having their photoshoots with Black & Hue Photography, and we plan to have calendars printed through Graphic Press and ready for pick up by Thanksgiving.

On December 20th, Community Thrift Market is hosting a fundraiser where Bob (who will be on the 2026 Calendar in August) will "sign" your 2026 Paw Prints Calendar with his own paw print!

We're hoping to have a few other famous pets from this year's contest stop by the shop as well! Stay tuned for more, and pre-order next year's calendar at https://www.leoncountyhumane.org/donate/paw-prints-calendar-2025/

08/11/2025

We need a short-term temporary foster for Boss until August 16th! Barely any time at all, but could be just long enough to fall head over tail!

This 2-year-old Bordeaux is a total charmer who loves attention, belly rubs, and showing off his growing list of tricks - especially if there are treats involved!

Boss is neutered, crate trained, house trained, and walks beautifully on a leash. He’s a quick learner - he mastered “shake” in just three days and already has “sit” down perfectly. He seems to do well with friendly dogs but isn’t a fan of cats. Boss is happiest when he’s with his people - he’ll crawl right into your lap for love every chance he gets.

We also need a new foster for Diamond, who might be the opposite of Boss. ☯️

Diamond is 1 year and 7 months old, a tiny chihuahua mix. She loves cat, friendly dogs, and her people. Now that summer is coming to an end, we’re betting her forever home is right around the corner! In fact, visit https://www.leoncountyhumane.org/animal/diamond-5/ to learn more and submit an adoption application!

Are you able to temporarily give Boss a place to stay (and a couch to sleep on?) able to help us find Diamond her forever home? Let us know!

Step 1. Make sure you’ve submitted a foster application at www.leoncountyhumane.org/foster/foster-application

Step 2. Email our Dog Coordinator, Amy, at [email protected] to say your home and heart is ready and open to help!

08/08/2025

Check out this week’s Furry Friday Friend, Juno!

https://www.leoncountyhumane.org/animal/juno-3/

You can also find Juno here:
https://www.leoncountyhumane.org/animal/juno-3/

08/08/2025

To celebrate International Cat Day, we'd like you to meet Bruce Wayne. 🦇

Don’t let the name fool you - this Bruce Wayne isn’t a brooding billionaire, and he doesn't come with a bat-mobile. He might start off a little shy - but give him time and patience and you’ll discover he's actually a playtime-obsessed purr-machine.

Bruce is a gentle soul who bonds deeply and loves with his whole heart. He does struggle with a bit of anxiety that can upset his tummy, but a calm environment combined with a confident cat friend to hang out with works wonders in helping him feel safe and secure. Right now, he hangs out with Eddie, another adoptable and friendly cat available for adoption, but we think they both would get along with most friendly cats!

Once he feels comfortable, Bruce becomes a total lovebug: purring loudly, seeking affection, and snuggling like it’s his superpower. Some may call him "needy," but we call him perfect.

The ideal person for him has to be ready for him to stick to them as snuggly as a latex superhero outfit.

Ready to adopt? Learn more and submit an adoption application at https://www.leoncountyhumane.org/animal/bruce-wayne/

Want to take his sidekick home too? Here's Eddie's profile:
https://www.leoncountyhumane.org/animal/eddie/

08/07/2025

Thank you to WCTV.tv for sharing this story!

Animal abandonment is a widespread issue in our region, and the animals deserve better!

Rarely is a surrender an emergency - if you are no longer able to keep the animal or animals in your care, don’t wait until the last minute to seek placement, and don’t leave them alone outside ANY establishment, even a rescue, shelter, or veterinary clinic.

For Leon County residents, you can utilize this rehoming guide: https://www.leoncountyhumane.org/resources/pet-surrenders-returns/

Or, email us for assistance on navigating this process. We’re here to help, but we have procedures in place to be able to humanely help as many animals as possible. We don’t charge fees to surrender animals. We work hard to be able to yes to as many intake requests as we receive. If we say no, it’s because we’re genuinely at our limit.

[email protected]

Animal abandonment is never okay, if you have an animal you need to surrender under emergency circumstances and live in Leon County, please contact City of Tallahassee - Animal Service Center

When it comes to rehoming, the local Humane Society said there’s a right way and a wrong way to go about it.

08/06/2025

Surrendering a pet is often a difficult and emotional process and finding placement for a stray animal can be stressful.

We've put together this guide to help community members who are trying to do right by animals and help them find a soft spot to land - responsibly.

While we stretch to save as many as we can, our intake is limited based on space, resources, and available foster homes. While we wish the answer could always be yes when we receive intake inquiries, unfortunately we're not always able to assist.

This link includes other ways to rehome animals while putting the animal's best interest at heart!

Know you're going to have to surrender on a certain date? Call City of Tallahassee - Animal Service Center at 850-891-2950 to schedule a surrender appointment. This is the City Animal Shelter by Tom Brown Park on Easterwood Drive. Do not wait until the last second - give them the courtesy of letting them know your limitations so they can plan for the arrival of the animal. Then, you can use that time period to exhaust other avenues of rehoming!

Contact rescues, (email photos and information to either [email protected] or [email protected] for our intake inquiries,) utilize your vet's office to post flyers, post on social media, and do everything in your power to find a home and keep that animal out of the shelter. If you succeed, call the shelter to cancel that surrender appointment.

If everywhere else is full and no one is equipped to adopt, then that's why the shelter exists - as a community resource and safety net. While the shelter should not be your first stop for surrendering, it is a much safer option for an animal than leaving them unattended or abandoning them. Many fear the shelter as being an unsafe place for animals, but the people working at the shelter are people just like us - there to help animals and their community. They rarely euthanize for space and work hard to provide humane care for animals and help them out into loving homes.

They need the support of their community just like we do to save lives. It takes a village to save animals and do right by them, and through education and teamwork we can keep animals safe and euthanasia numbers low.

If you must return your LCHS adoptee pet or rehome your current pet…

08/05/2025

Fosters Needed!

We have two 🐩 dogs in need of foster homes!

Max is 2 years old with a high prey drive for small animals, and Jasmine is 8 months old and while her prey drive with small animals is less than Max’s, due to their breed we don’t generally recommend putting them with small animals - just to be safe.

However, they’re both wonderful with other dogs and very well behaved overall! They’re being spayed and neutered this week and could use a soft spot to recover until they’re adopted.

Fosters have first opportunity to adopt, and must have submitted a foster application at www.leoncountyhumane.org/foster/foster-application

Already submitted one? Email our dog coordinator Amy at [email protected] to let her know there’s space in your home and heart!

Commenting is NOT a commitment to fostering. You MUST submit an application or email Amy.

08/05/2025

Meet Midnight: One of many cats who needed a safe spot to land this kitten season.

He's a 12-week-old kitten who arrived in our care yesterday with a crushed paw and broken shoulder, along with several wounds on his chest and body that have abscessed. He also has a minor scabies infection, which is easily treatable but highly contagious. Even though we're very full, we prioritize cases like these, the ones who need us most.

We suspect he was hit by a car, and the Good Samaritan who found him on Saturday was terrified to bring him to the shelter for fear of him being euthanized - and was even afraid to bring him to us. It breaks our heart to learn that members of the community would be more willing to let animals sit with injuries this severe than risk humane euthanasia.

While we also want to save them all - we also want to prevent suffering, and so does our shelter. Euthanasia is not an evil word, it's often the kindest thing we can offer, especially when injuries are too extensive or recovery is unlikely. He was in severe pain and needed immediate care, and we're glad that his finder didn't hesitate longer.

Too often, community members fear that reaching out for help could mean the end of an animal’s life. They may even choose to abandon the animal over bring them to the shelter, but here's the truth: euthanasia isn’t a cruel act - it can be the kindest one. When an animal is suffering beyond what treatment can mend, choosing a peaceful goodbye can be the most humane option.

For Midnight, we believe we can save him. His journey is going to be lengthy; he'll need an amputation, since that crushed paw is so damaged it has no blood flow, and right now he's on some pretty strong pain meds to help him through until he's more stable since he's anemic and struggling with those abscesses.

We receive no city, county, or state funding.
Every medical bill, every surgery, every recovery - it’s all made possible by donors like you.

If you’re able, please consider donating through this post or through our website at www.leoncountyhumane.org/donate to support Midnight and the hundreds of other animals we help each year.

Your support is the difference between suffering and safety, fear and hope, and offers animals with no other option a second chance at a happy life with a family who loves them.

08/04/2025

Ready to add a cat or kitten to your household?

Submit an adoption application today! Our Cat Adoption Specialist does a phenomenal job of matchmaking. Our application asks a few questions about your household, what you’re looking for, and who you’re interested in! You can submit a general application or pick a few cats who caught your eye.

Some of our cats are at our office, some are in foster care, and some are at our adoption partner, Tally Cat Café! We’ll look at who you want to meet (or should meet!) and contact you to set up meet and greets.

We have lots of cats and kittens available for adoption, like Wrangler - and even more in foster care getting vetted and healthy.

Wrangler is a fearless little explorer who got his name after being rescued from inside a Jeep engine! Full of s***k and personality, he’s playful, energetic, and always on the move. He’s also a total chatterbox who loves to ''talk'' and tell you all about his day. If you're looking for a fun-loving, adventurous companion with a big voice and an even bigger heart, Wrangler is your guy!

View all currently available cats and kittens and submit an adoption application at https://www.leoncountyhumane.org/adopt/adoptable-cats/

08/03/2025

Thank you to Georgianna Hatch Studios!

Georgianna Hatch Studios, up the road from our office in Market Square, hosted an event on July 26th, National Dog Photography Day!

She made dreams come true for lots of local pet owners, offering portraits that will be beloved for years to come in exchange for a donation to our organization, so that future dogs can also become cherished family members.

See more of her work and consider booking her for your upcoming photography needs by visiting her profile and website at http://www.ghatchstudios.com/

Feeling inspired? Click below to learn how to use your talents to run a successful benefit to help us in our mission to Rescue, Rehabilitate, and Educate.

https://www.leoncountyhumane.org/get-involved/benekit/

08/03/2025

Today’s the last day to enjoy 19% off at Hollywood Feed! They’re wonderful supporters of LCHS, and are our go-to for quality supplies - especially when we have animals requiring specialized diets and care!

For example, Carrie, an adoptable cat you can learn more about in the comments, is on N&D Digestion and it helps manage her IBS symptoms and keeps her happy and healthy! We hope you’ll support them (and surprise your pets with some goodies!) by shopping in-store or online today.

Plus - their toy and treat selection can’t be beat! Their love of animals and their guardians is evident in every corner of their store.

Congrats to Hollywood Feed on 19 years!