About
San Diego Humane Society is an independent nonprofit animal welfare organization serving San Diego County, California. Founded in 1880, it describes itself as the oldest and largest humane society in the county, caring for more than 40,000 animals each year across five campuses while providing shelter, veterinary care, humane law enforcement, and wildlife rehabilitation for the communities it serves.
Mission
To create a more humane world by inspiring compassion, providing hope and advancing the welfare of animals and people. The organization's stated core values are compassion, courage, impact, inclusion, and integrity.
What they do
- Animal sheltering and adoptions across campuses in San Diego, El Cajon, Escondido, Oceanside, and Ramona
- Behavior Center providing behavioral rehabilitation for shelter animals
- Kitten Nursery offering specialized care for infant kittens
- Project Wildlife, which rescues and rehabilitates more than 10,000 wild animals annually
- Humane Law Enforcement, responding to more than 100,000 dispatch calls each year
- Community Veterinary Program and Community Pet Pantry, which distributes more than 2 million pet meals annually
- Pet training resources, humane euthanasia, and pet loss support services
History
San Diego Humane Society was founded on March 10, 1880 by George W. Marston and George W. Hazzard. In 2015, San Diego became the first city in the United States to achieve zero euthanasia of healthy and treatable shelter animals, a milestone the organization highlights in its history.
Scale and impact
The organization provides animal services for 14 cities across San Diego County and cares for more than 40,000 animals each year. It operates five campuses and runs one of the region's largest wildlife rehabilitation programs through Project Wildlife.
Financials
According to ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer, San Diego Humane Society and SPCA reported revenue of $67,557,221 and expenses of $73,401,220 for the fiscal year ending June 2025, with net assets of $98,247,715. For the fiscal year ending June 2024, it reported revenue of $72,873,511 and expenses of $67,834,937. The organization states that philanthropy provides approximately 50 percent of its annual budget.
Governance
San Diego Humane Society and SPCA is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization (EIN 95-1661688). It is an independent local organization and is not affiliated with any national animal welfare groups.