The FMHS is primarily a pound rescue organization, committed to rescuing as many unclaimed strays from the local pounds as our small shelter allows. With only 9 dog kennels, 17 cat kennels, and a small room for kittens, space is very limited at our shelter, so we do our best to find foster homes to take in additional animals, in order to maximize the number of animals that can be rescued. Unfortunately, without space at our shelter or foster homes to assist us, animals whose time is up at the local pounds are euthanized. The local pounds only hold strays for 3-5 days, giving our shelter only a few days to find room for them. With your help, we can help to minimize the unnecessary euthanasia of adoptable animals in our local pounds. Please read on for ways that you can make a difference—you may only be one person, but even one person can make the difference in these animals’ lives!

Help us make a difference for our community’s stray animals:  

Become a Foster Family

Foster families save lives. Once our shelter is at capacity, we can’t continue to rescue animals from the pound unless we have dedicated foster homes to assist us in housing more animals. Our foster program is a no-cost-to-you program and we provide all the necessary supplies: food, toys, bowls, kennels, bedding, litter/litter box and veterinary care. Fostering for the FMHS can be temporary (until space opens at the shelter) or longer-term (until the animal is adopted, which can be fairly quickly or up to a few months). Our foster families are utilized to assist in rescuing more animals, but they are also utilized for pregnant/nursing mother cats or dogs, or for animals that do not do well in a shelter environment. If you are interested in fostering, please contact the FMHS at 701-239-0077.

Adopt Your Next Pet

Adopting a pet from a shelter or rescue organization is a rewarding experience—you are giving an animal a second chance at life. Some people think that rescued animals are “throw outs” or that they are all “mutts”, but we assure this is not true. We have had many well-trained animals come through our shelter and nearly 40% of the dogs that come through rescues are purebred. We can tell that all of our animals have been someone’s pet at some point in their lives, and for whatever reason, they have become displaced. This does not make them any less worthy of a good home; it simply means that someone needs to offer them a second chance at the life that they are deserving of. Many times, animals are not displaced because of something they did. More often than not, they are just victims of circumstances in their former owners’ lives. So, before you buy from a pet store or a breeder, take a look at our shelter and see if we may have the perfect pet for you. You just might be surprised at what you find.

Spay or Neuter Your Pet

Many people believe that their pets should have a litter of puppies or kittens because they are “purebred” or “because they want their children to witness the miracle of life” or even because “every female animal should have a litter before they are spayed”. Unfortunately, bringing more animals into the world means that there are fewer homes available for rescued animals and it adds to the number of animals that may eventually find themselves in need of rescue. Each year, 3 million pets are euthanized in the United States because there are not enough homes. By bringing more puppies or kittens into the world, the problem is only perpetuated. And, as unfortunate as it may be, there’s a good likelihood that one or more of those puppies or kittens you assisted in bringing into the world will one day be homeless and potentially be one of those 3 million pets euthanized due to the lack of homes.

Don’t Allow Your Pets to Roam

Many people don’t realize the risks of letting your pet, particularly cats, roam. More than 8 times as many cats compared to dogs are euthanized in the local pounds and many of those cats end up at the pound because their owners thought that the cat should be allowed outdoors. As common of a perception as that is, it is incredibly dangerous. Your cat can be exposed to diseases, be attacked by other animals, be killed in traffic or be picked up by an animal control officer. If your cat is picked up by an animal control officer and taken to the local pound, your cat only has 3-5 days for you to claim them. After that time, their fate rests in whether or not the local rescues have space, and if they don’t, your cat will be euthanized. If you want your cat to be allowed outdoors, put a harness on them and secure them in your yard. There are just as many inherent risks for dogs that are not secured in their owner’s home or yard.

If your pet does escape from your property, don’t hesitate to search for them. Call the local pounds as soon as possible: Fargo/Cass county (232-7312), Moorhead (236-9059) or local law enforcement, West Fargo (433-5500). Give the pounds or law enforcement descriptions of your pet, so that they can contact you as soon as possible if they find your pet. Also, give the FMHS a call—although we don’t take in strays, many people contact us about stray animals before they contact the animal control officers. We will take down a description of your pet and contact you if we are contacted about an animal that matches your pet’s description. The sooner you begin searching for your pet, the more likely you are to find them.

Volunteer Your Time or Donate Supplies or Money

Volunteers are an invaluable part of our organization. Our volunteers assist us with socializing the pets at our shelter, transporting animals from the pounds to our shelter, assisting with fundraising events and assisting with adoptions. If you can’t financially afford to support a local rescue organization, volunteering your time is just as valuable.

The FMHS can always use donated supplies or financial donations. We are a non-profit organization; we receive no financial support from the HSUS. Seventy-seven percent of all the money needed to keep our organization going is contributed by local donors and the other 23% is from adoption fees (which often times barely covers the actual amount spent to care for the animal during their stay with us). All donations, whether they are monetary or in-kind, are always greatly appreciated.

The FMHS appreciates all of its donors, volunteers, foster families and adopters. The FM Humane Society also gratefully acknowledges that in 2009, our organization received $2,500 from the City of Moorhead, $2,000 from Cass County, $1,500 from Clay County, $500 from the City of West Fargo, and $300 from the City of Dilworth. Without everyone’s combined efforts, our organization would not be able to help the 600 animals, on average, we adopt each year. Your continued support of our organization and other local rescue agencies ensures the safety of the locally impounded animals. With your help, we can improve the number of animals that are rescued and adopted each year.  

We have many opportunities available! Please fill out a volunteer application today!

If you or someone you know is 16 or younger this is the application needed.