Mission :

Eliminate cruelty and suffering to domestic and companion animals by promoting kindness and compassion through education and training.

About Us :

We provide shelter for lost, homeless, abandoned, and abused animals, while actively seeking loving, permanent homes. Other services include dog licensing, day and overnight dog boarding, pet grooming facilities by appointment, animal behavior consultants, dog obedience classes, and low cost spay and neuter clinics.

Animal Control Officers respond to public concerns about animals at large or creating a nuisance, and investigate reports of animal neglect and cruelty. CBJ ordinances define the perameters of these services.

We work at local and regional levels to offer programs, services and up-to-date information on animal care. Through the schools and other community groups, we seek to increase public awareness of the problems of animal abuse and overpopulation with projects like KIND News, a four page newspaper for elementary school children, and the First Strike campaign against animal cruelty and domestic violence.

We are helping to make our communities better places for people and animals. Join us. We can't do it alone!

History :

The Gastineau Humane Society (GHS) first opened its door in 1963. Staffed by volunteers, the original shelter was located under the Juneau-Douglas Bridge in a small space donated by the city and stocked with air kennels. As Juneau grew, so did the number of unwanted pets. By the mid 1970's, the original space was inadequate to handle the number of animals it was receiving. A local couple, concerned with the cramped conditions in the make shift building, donated land and volunteers set to work raising money to build a more permanent shelter. Climate and substandard building materials took their toll on the first shelter. Volunteers came to the rescue again and raised money to build the existing shelter in the mid 1980's. The shelter has 45 dog runs, two cat rooms (rooms designed specifically to hold cats in a common area so they do not have to be kenneled), two cat meet and greet rooms (where you can get to know an individual cat) and one dog meet and greet room (where you can spend time with one of the dogs). Additionally, we have quarantine areas for animals who have recently arrived and have not had a medical check up, an isolation ward for sick animals, medical kennels for animals who are recovering from surgery or serious injury and a clinic that cares for all GHS animals.

Animals from all over Southeast Alaska have received a second chance at life at the Gastineau Humane Society. The professional staff and dedicated volunteers provide care and love to animals 365 days a year.