Join the Helping Hands Humane Society Team

Helping Hands Humane Society (HHHS) is an open admission animal shelter serving Northeast Kansas. HHHS admits over 6,000 pets each year. Animals in our care include strays found by Animal Control and the public, Shawnee County and City of Topeka court hold and protective custody cases, and pets surrendered by owners facing difficult circumstances. Our mission is to go above and beyond simply providing housing for animals with nowhere else to go – we accept responsibility for each animal’s wellbeing and seek to end pet homelessness while improving the lives of pets and their owners in our community. For pets in our care, we provide medical and behavioral intervention, spay/neuter, enrichment, a foster and rescue program, return to home efforts, and a robust adoption program. For families with pets in our community, we provide resources and information such as our pet food pantry, low-cost clinic services, dog training, pet-friendly events, and pet loss support group.

Mission Statement
As advocates for animal welfare, Helping Hands Humane Society, Inc. provides sanctuary for animals in need of compassionate care and protection. We accept responsibility for:
Fostering the adoption of healthy animals into responsible homes and reuniting lost animals with their owners
Reducing overpopulation by promoting sterilization of animals
Providing an accessible facility with effective leadership and well-trained staff
Serving the community through education and addressing animal welfare issues
Maintaining a fiscally responsible organization by adhering to the highest standards of integrity

History:
An article in the Topeka Capital-Journal dated March 20, 1910 indicates the recognized beginning of our local humane society around 1890. Established by Judge C.G. Foster for the welfare of children as well as animals, the Foster Humane Society was to “look to the welfare of every living creature”. In a 1919 report, the Foster Society investigated 225 cases of cruelty and neglect of children, 103 horses and mules being worked while in unfit conditions, and many other cases of cruelty to animals. We were officially chartered as a non-profit in 1938.
In 1944, a gift of $1,000 was used to purchase a three-acre tract of land.
On January 8th, 2013, Helping Hands Humane Society moved from 2625 NW Rochester Rd to 5720 SW 21st Street, a renovated grocery store. The capital campaign lasted several years and we were able to complete the build debt-free.
We opened a new low-cost spay-neuter clinic in April of 2022, alongside a parvo ward and a kitten campus. The shelter remains deeply aware that its ability to provide help to animals depends entirely on the help it receives from the community it serves.