History

About Us

Our Beginnings

Lake County Humane Society was founded in a small home in Perry Township, Ohio in November of 1937 by a group of determined animal lovers who wanted to see a higher standard of care for companion animals in Lake County, Ohio. The shelter had a very small staff, limiting the number of animals it could care for.

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50 Years Later

After more than 50 years, in late 1988, Lake County Humane Society moved to an 8,000 square-foot warehouse in the heart of Mentor, Ohio, where it is currently located. Around the same time, the organization changed its name to what it is today, “Lake Humane Society,” dropping the “County” from the name to correct the misconception that the organization received county funding and to avoid confusion. The expanded facility enabled the organization to care for more animals including cats and small animals and offer additional services to the community.

Today

In late 2014, Lake Humane Society acquired an annex to allow for additional office space and to expand programming, such as TNR services and pet wellness clinics for the community. Now, more than 80 years after conception, the Lake Humane Society cares for over 1,800 animals each year. As we continue to grow and expand services in the future, LHS is in need of a larger, more suitable space to provide the best care for our animals.

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LHS Closed to the public

Updated: 12/20/22

Last week, in cooperation with a local police department, Lake Humane Society aided in the rescue of six animals from a humane investigation. Unfortunately, one of the dogs from the rescue has tested positive for the canine parvovirus. The dog is in quarantine and currently doing well under treatment.
Because this disease spreads rapidly, and has a 14-day incubation period, out of an abundance of caution for the health of LHS’s animal population, LHS shelter is closed for the next 14 days. The next two weeks will allow our staff to monitor and assess the health of our animals. We will provide updates as they become available.
Canine parvovirus is a rapidly contagious viral disease that can affect any and all dogs that have not been fully vaccinated. It is vitally important that LHS prioritizes the health and well-being of the animals, staff and volunteers within our shelter walls and yours at home. LHS vaccinates all dogs that haven’t been vaccinated on arrival in an effort to protect them from many diseases, parvovirus being one of them, and clean the shelter with disinfectants to combat the spread of disease.
We apologize for the inconvenience and thank you for supporting our mission in protecting pets and people.
We will be doing adoptions with our animals that are fully vaccinated and showing no signs of illness. Some restrictions will apply, however, if you are interested in adopting, please email adopt@lakehumane.org so our team can discuss in more detail.
REGARDING AUGGIES PET FOOD PANTRY: we will still be operating Wednesday, December 21st from 1-3pm as the annex building has not been exposed to parvo.