Summary
Organization name
Intermountain Humane Society
other names
IMHS
Category
Animal-Related
Address
67318 US Hwy 285Pine, CO 80470
Mailing
P.O. Box 528Pine, CO 80470
Jefferson County, CO, US
We are the ONLY animal shelter in Park County covering over 2700 square miles, and the only licensed shelter from Golden to Buena Vista. We are a tiny, rural shelter, with minimal staff and many dedicated volunteers. In our 35+ years of community service, we have saved over 20,000 dogs and cats.
Testimonials
As a longtime volunteer for IMHS, I want to say how very grateful I am for the hard work and dedication this organization gives toward ensuring the well-being, comfort and good health of the homeless animals in our area. They are deeply committed to finding forever homes for all the animals that come under their care. They have a truly dedicated staff that potential adopters can rely on to help them find a new pet that will fit in perfectly with their lifestyle. I have observed several instances where they have gone above and beyond to rehabilitate and/ or find a special needs home for a cat or dog that comes in with an outstanding health issue.
I highly recommend IMHS to anyone who is looking to adopt a new forever friend, volunteer in a truly caring organization or wants to donate to a shelter that treats each animal with dignity and compassion.
This group is a valuable asset to both the people and animals in our community. They offer a safe haven for animals in need and are always available to help provide information and resources for those with animal related questions.
"Intermountain Humane Society, For the Love of Animals"
Monday through Friday, I'm busy at a job that pays my bills. My free time is spent with my husband and three rescue dogs (not counting the occasional fosters) enjoying the foothills of Colorado. My love for dogs helped my find my way to IMHS, where I have taken on a number of roles. From serving on the board of directors, chairing the operations and technology committees, writing for their newsletter, to cat-cuddling, dog-walking and of course, scooping poop! I love doing what I can to assist in getting animals adopted, and being a part of a number of volunteer groups that help animals.
Intermountain Humane Society (IMHS) is, without a doubt my favorite charity. They are a very small shelter, in a fairly rural area, but their impact is nonetheless far reaching. With only a handful of employees, they seem to be able to accomplish miracles. Sure, they do the same things as many other animal shelters, such as get pets adopted, but they also do so much more.
This shelter often finds itself taking in animals that would surely be euthanized elsewhere due to medical or behavioral issues. The attention and care these animals need often tax the limited resources of IMHS, but they care for them until they are adoptable anyway. I recall the adorable white kitten, Quartz, born without a complete digestive system that surely would have been 'put down' in many other places. With quite a bit of time and patience, the staff was able to find a diet that he could tolerate and he is now happy in a forever home. And the senior animals, who need not only medical attention, but a special gentle touch and are often hard to adopt, are given that extra care they so much deserve.
One thing that amazes me about this shelter is their ability to transform the behavior of some of the animals in their care. IMHS is often called upon by overcrowded, under-served shelters that do not have the time to put into caring for animals who, by all accounts, are really only frightened of the new world they have come to knowâĤ..life in a small cage with no person to call their own. In comes IMHS, who recognizes that these animals just need some time, a little piece and quite away from hundreds of other barking animals, some room to run, and love from the staff and volunteers. Dogs who cower in the back of kennels become friendly loving pooches, and cats that hiss and scratch learn to live in condos with other cats and rub up against the bars for love and affection - and often end up with a lap to sit in!
The shelter staff is also called upon on many occasions to help animals stay in their homes. When a family might be forced to give up an animal due to financial reasons, IMHS is there to supply the food. When a behavioral issue arises, families often call on IMHS for their expertise, and the staff willingly offers guidance to the family, often resulting in keeping the happy family together.
I have been an IMHS volunteer for five years, and look forward to spending every Saturday morning with the animals. If you are looking for a place to give your time, look no further than IMHS. And if you are looking for a well-deserved charity, which cares for animals with a high degree of integrity and compassion, I know they could use the financial help as they can only operate based on the generosity of others.
Mission
Intermountain Humane Society is committed to serving our intermountain community by providing socially conscious animal sheltering, animal welfare education and advocacy, and to be the community's leading resource for animal welfare, working to improve the lives of people and their pets.
Safeguard, rescue, shelter, adopt out and advocate for animals in need.
Act as a lifeline to underserved regional shelters.
Maintain our 100% placement rate for adoptable animals.
Reduce dog and cat overpopulation through spay/neuter and education.
Background Statement
Intermountain Humane Society was first incorporated in 1982. This "grass-roots" organization arose from a community response to the closure of Park County's Animal Control Department in 1981. Greg and M.C. Johnson were the driving force behind this effort to provide some means of dealing with animal issues in the county which, at that time, had neither a shelter nor animal control officers.
From 1982 until 2002, IMHS operated solely as a rescue organization. There was no permanent shelter facility, so foster homes and a local vet clinic were used to house and care for homeless pets. In 2002 IMHS opened a small shelter facility (our current location in Pine Junction). In addition, we continue to provide foster homes for many of our resident animals.
IMHS's service area of Park County and southwest Jefferson County, Colorado encompasses 2,300 square miles, yet our efforts to promote the human-animal bond reaches much farther. Certainly, we provide shelter and assistance to homeless pets in our local area. We also network with metro Denver and other Colorado shelters, taking in transfers when we have available space. Since late 2008, IMHS has participated in rescue efforts in Kansas and New Mexico, taking homeless pets out of desperate situations and bringing them in to the IMHS shelter. Our adopters aren't geographically limited, either: thanks to the internet, IMHS shelter pets go to their forever homes in Colorado Springs and Cheyenne as often they do to Bailey and Pine.
Throughout our existence, Intermountain Humane Society has depended entirely upon voluntary donations made by individuals and businesses in the communities we serve; we also benefit from grant monies and donations from philanthropic foundations. Unlike other shelters in our area, IMHS receives no governmental support.
The majority of veterinary services for IMHS residents are provided by local veterinarians at a discounted rate and most spay and neuters are done by Litter Free Lives. A paid staff of four, an all-volunteer Board of Directors and a group of dedicated volunteers offer the administrative and technical expertise needed to protect and improve the lives of animals in our care.
Media gallery
Organization Data
Pine, CO 80470
Pine, CO 80470