Humane Society of Boulder Valley

Background Statement

HSBV serves more than 16,000 animals annually through adoptions, animal transfers, veterinary services, behavior care and Safety Net services. Safety Net services are critical in supporting thousands of pet-guardian relationships in times of hardship, such as housing displacement, temporary illness and financial hardship. All of these efforts build and strengthen happy and healthy relationships between pets and people, saving and changing lives.

The Humane Society of Boulder Valley (HSBV) (formerly the Boulder County Humane Society) was formed in 1902 by a small group of spirited Boulder citizens "to promote the growth of sentiment favorable to the protection, care of, kindness to, and fair play towards animals; to secure the enforcement of laws for the prevention of cruelty to animals; to rescue lost and injured pets; to establish shelters for unwanted and stray animals."

In 1931, HSBV received a generous bequest from Mrs. Kate Harbeck, who resided for many years in Boulder. With this legacy, land was purchased on Arapahoe Road, a shelter, boarding facility and pet cemetery were established and remained until 1973. When HSBV incorporated in 1932, Miss Anna Belle Morris was elected president and served for 25 years until her death.

In 1973, HSBV built a facility at 2323 55th St. The building was approximately 11,000 square feet on 2.8 acres. In 1982, HSBV built an addition to house a spay and neuter clinic to sterilize adopted animals. The Denver Foundation provided funding for the Irene Rothgerber Puppy House, which was added on in 1985, to provide additional caging for puppies and other small animals.

In 1990, the Board of Directors set a goal to end the euthanasia of adoptable animals by 1996, and this goal was accomplished through our strategic New Leash on Life program. We have maintained this goal to date. HSBV was given a free lease for a Veterinary Clinic on Pearl Street in September 1990, and operating support from the Animal Assistance Foundation (AAF). HSBV moved the shelter clinic operations to Pearl Street and began offering subsidized spay and neuter surgeries for public animals. The AAF operated the clinic for 20 years, and in 1990, consolidated all operations into a new hospital, the Harrison Memorial Animal Hospital in Denver. The AAF provided grants to HSBV to support subsidized spay and neuter. In 2000, they signed the building over to our organization in support of the Capital Campaign for the new facility where the clinic and shelter will once again be under one roof.

In 1997, HSBV embarked on two new supporting businesses, a Thrift and Gift Shop and Pet Supply and Training Center. Both businesses supported the mission by raising vital funds and providing community service. The board authorized a capital campaign to build a new facility. The community rallied and raised 5.8 million dollars to build a 29,700-square-foot facility on the footprint that surrounded the original building. September 17, 2001, the animals moved into the new building, and we were open for business. The Veterinary Clinic moved to 2323 55th Street and the Clinic on Pearl Street was sold.

In 2007, the Training & Behavior Center was erected above the Clinic on the second floor. This space serves to enhance the rehabilitation of shelter animals and offers animal training classes to the public.

In 2021, HSBV launched the "Bold Future for Animals" Campaign. The campaign concluded in 2023 and funded the construction of an expanded veterinary hospital. This expansion allows us to meet the complex needs of shelter animals and to support the expansion of Safety Net services, providing greater access to veterinary care for shelter animals and the pets of our neighbors in need.

Thank you for your commitment to animals!