Sustaining programs and maintaining community partnerships across two Oʻahu animal shelters — one in Mōʻiliʻili and the newest in ʻEwa Beach – is no walk in the park.
But for Anna Neubauer, whose passion lies with animals and the people who help take care of them, that’s just part of her job as president and CEO of the Hawaiian Humane Society.
One of her priorities this year is “making sure pets and families stay together.”
“There’s real big concerns with housing, and with the cost of living here being quite high, folks are having to make hard decisions. There’s not as many pet-friendly housing opportunities as we would love to see either. That seems to be the driver for why people are bringing pets into our care.”
As the island’s largest animal welfare organization, The Hawaiian Humane Society provides lost and found services, pet microchipping, spay and neuter, among other offerings. It also has pet food banks, adoption centers, exam rooms, foster care and educational programs.
The nonprofit has a $16 million annual budget that funds animal care, programming and other services, per its 2023 Annual Report.
The Hawaiian Humane Society’s Kosasa Family Campus at Hoʻopili, which opened May 2023 on five acres of land donated by D.R. Horton Hawaiʻi, has cared for more than 4,000 pets and sheltered about half that amount in fiscal year 2024, the nonprofit reported. The campus also “successfully reunited more than 2,310 lost pets with their owners” and distributed more than 19,000 pounds of food via its Pet Food Bank.
“We’re excited to have this new campus for our community and even more excited to continue to engage and support our community and have our community support us,” Neubauer said. “We can’t solve this island’s pet overpopulation or the housing crisis by ourselves – we need our community just as much as our community needs us.”
How to help
*Monetary gifts
*Workers: From dog-walkers to administrative types and even those who love to do laundry, join the team as a volunteer, here, or employee, here.
*Donation drop-offs: Check out the Hawaiian Humane Society’s Amazon Wishlist and this site to help provide more resources to local families. Business collaborations are also welcome.
Leveraging partnerships with businesses, nonprofits and schools is key for Neubauerʻs goal of expanding local outreach.
"Being able to work with folks who are also doing important work in the community, too, it helps to uplift everybody’s mission at the same time, and have a greater impact on our communities as a whole,” she said.
Neubauer added, as a leader, it’s important to keep up with local, national and global news to inform your team. The Hawaiian Humane Society has more than 100 staff members and 600 volunteers.
Did you know?
*Kitten season in Hawaii is year-round, while in places with seasons, it typically runs from spring through fall. More information about cat and kitten needs locally can be found here.
*The Hawaiian Humane Society has more than just cats and dogs available for adoption. You can also adopt small animals like guinea pigs, rabbits, birds, tortoises (like 1-year-old Greased Lightnin) and more. Adoptions are first come, first serve. Find your new pet here.
CONTACT
Mō’ili’ili Campus
Address: 2700 Waiʻalae Ave., Honolulu
Adoption Center open daily 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Phone: 808-356-2200
Email: info@hawaiianhumane.org
Kosasa Family Campus at Ho’opili
Address: 91-1945 Fort Weaver Road, ʻEwa Beach
Adoption Center open daily from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Kelsey Kukaua Medeiros can be reached at kelsey@alohastatedaily.com.
