Our Mission

Since 1946, Nashville Humane Association has been a safe haven for at-risk, homeless and adoptable pets. NHA is a family of over 60 staff and board members, along with hundreds of fosters, contributors, volunteers, and active supporters all dedicated to our mission of saving lives.

Nashville Humane Association is committed to finding responsible homes, controlling pet overpopulation, and promoting the humane treatment of animals, all while supporting pets and pet-families in our community.

About Us

As an entirely gift-based not-for-profit, Nashville Humane relies on contributions from supporters like you to do the work necessary to protect homeless, adoptable, and at-risk pets in Nashville, throughout middle Tennessee and across the globe.

Simply put, we’ve been doing this a very long time. None of the amazing work that we perform daily for pets and their people would be possible without your support. We’re not a government agency; we don’t have the support of a giant national umbrella organization. We’re a small, local shelter that is dedicated to saving lives.

It’s because of your support that we will continue to rescue pets from hoarding cases, neglect and abuse cases, and puppy mills. It’s because of your support that we’re able to provide disaster relief, and support urban and rural animal shelters and rescues. And, it’s because of your support that we will save thousands and thousands of lives every year, with a 99% save rate.

Voted Nashville’s “Favorite Place to Adopt” year-over-year as well as our city’s favorite charity events, award-winning programming, and so much more. We do it all for you. We are your neighborhood shelter. We are Nashville Humane Association.

Pet
Adoptions

NHA helps families from everywhere meet their perfect shelter pet match. In fact, nearly 4,000 pets find their special someone’s through our robust adoption program.

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Community Resources

Whether it’s our Community Food Bank, Crisis Boarding, vouchers for training, pet medical expenses, or access to information and resources, our Community Resource Center is here to help.

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Volunteer Opportunities

Volunteers play a vital role in enabling us in fulfilling our mission to save lives and help pets in Nashville and across the country. From walking dogs, to working events, to helping at the shelter, our volunteers are essential members of the team.

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Foster Care

Fosters open their hearts and homes to special pets who may need a little time away from shelter life while they’re recovering from surgery, growing from a tiny baby into a kitten or puppy, or just taking a break from the stress.

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Community Events

Whether they’re small community events, such as Pups & Pints or neighborhood festivals, all the way up to one of our four major annual fundraising events, NHA loves our city and we want to be everywhere you are!

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Humane Education

Humane education plays an essential role in creating a compassionate and caring society. The first step in responsible pet ownership is learning about how to properly and responsibly care for your pet.

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Doggie Dates

Short-term foster opportunities, like Doggie Dates and Rovernights, are great ways for those not in a position to adopt to spend a day at the park or a night at home giving a shelter pet a much-needed break from the shelter.

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NHA Online Store

Nashville Humane’s Be Humane online merch store is the perfect place to get that special gift for someone (or yourself!) while also giving back to shelter pets at NHA. Every purchase is actually a donation to the shelter!

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