Our Mission: To promote the humane treatment of companion animals through protection, placement, education, and example. 

Board of Directors 

Jennifer Marsh – Chair
Amanda Thornburg- Vice Chair
Clayton Stiffler – Treasurer
Kathy Helzer, DVM – Secretary
Lisette Poletes
Pam Amato
Breina Pugh
Julie Cooper
Eric Eyde, DVM
Janet Lillie
Janice Milligan
Sarah Schafer

Some Facts about CAHS     

  • The CAHS shelter can house up to 400 animals at one time
  • An average of more than 16 animals per day went home in 2020. That is one animal going home every 26 minutes we are open.
  • Our shelter is located on 65 acres, which is owned outright by CAHS
  • The CAHS shelter employs 48 people; 17 who are full-time
  • Volunteers donate about 36,000 hours each year in support of our work
  • In the first 11 years it will be open, the CAHS Spay & Neuter Clinic will perform more than 70,000 surgeries to prevent unwanted litters
  • About 1 out of every 4 visiting people/families will adopt when they are here

Interested to know more? We love to host tours so you can see how your money is or will be put to use for the benefit of animals. Call or email Penny Myers to set-up your behind-the-scenes visit.

Historic Milestones

1935 – Mr. and Mrs. Warren H. Hosmer and Mr. and Mrs. H.M. Cooper care for the community’s homeless animals in their homes and secretly in the basement of the school in which Mrs. Hosmer taught.

1936 – The Ingham County Humane Society (ICHS) is founded by Mrs. Hosmer

1937 – ICHS builds the animal shelter at 1713 Sunset in Lansing. Potter Park Zoo houses animals during construction.

1953 – Fire at the shelter kills 57 animals; strong community support restores the shelter.

1971 – Ingham County establishes an Animal Control agency to handle stray animals and enforce animal cruelty laws; ICHS focuses on owner-surrendered animals.

1987 – Organization changes its name to Capital Area Humane Society (CAHS) to better reflect our service area of Ingham, Eaton, and Clinton Counties.

1993 – Current animal shelter at 7095 West Grand River Avenue in Lansing is built through community support; with 12,000 square feet and significantly more capacity for housing animals.

1999 – CAHS expands with an on-site Spay & Neuter Clinic for shelter animals.

2000 – Due to high demand, CAHS opens the door to its on-site clinic for public surgeries.

2011 – Donor and grant funding allows CAHS to expand with its off-site Spay & Neuter Clinic increasing annual spay and neuter surgeries from 5,000 to over 8,000.