The Humane Society of the Black Hills (HSBH) is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization that has worked with the community to provide shelter and care for lost and abused animals for 50 years. Incorporated on November 29, 1968, the HSBH currently operates the only major animal shelter west of the Missouri River in South Dakota. Each year, the humane society rescues more than 5,000 animals. Because of the shortage of shelters, animals are picked up and brought to our shelter from as many as 20 different counties. We are also an open admissions shelter meaning no animal will be turned away. We are not affiliated with any other humane societies and rely on public funding and donations from our community to help us keep the doors open. Donations to national groups do not reach the pets that stay with us – If you want to support your local animals and families who need it most, please support your local Humane Society of the Black Hills. The HSBH also provides animal welfare services and humane law enforcement to Rapid City and Pennington County governments as an independent contractor. Our Animal Services and Enforcement officers uphold Rapid City codes, Pennington County ordinances, and the State of South Dakota laws pertaining to domestic animals.
The adoption process may take up to one hour to complete but we’ll keep it as simple and streamlined as possible. Here are the steps when you’re considering adopting a pet: Visit our website to see available animals or see them on site during regular hours. When you find a dog, cat or small animal you would like to spend more time with, simply fill out a visitation form at the Humane Society front desk for the animal you’d like to visit. An adoption adviser will bring the animal to meet you for a 15-minute visit. We will schedule the last visit for adoptions 20 minutes before we close for the day. Once you have found a pet that you think is your perfect match, your adoption advisor will take you through the adoption process, and you can take your new family member home!