About Sunrise Humane Society:
Founded in 2021, the Sunrise Humane Society (SHS) Vision is to be a Shining Star for the City of Fort Pierce: for miles around, SHS will be the sunrise of hope for Animal Welfare on the Treasure Coast. Between our Community Outreach, like the quarterly free rabies vaccination clinics, to low-cost cremation services, we strive to make a difference in our community.
We will continue to emphasize adoption, promotion of veterinary care, humane education, and spaying and neutering ... all to curb pet overpopulation and to continue to be a life-saving "open door" shelter. We will continue to seek out and inspire humans to volunteer their time and share their love for the animals.
The Sunrise Humane Society will continue to accept owner-surrendered animals from within our service area. Our goal is to find homes for all adoptable animals entrusted into our care, including those who may need a "makeover," some training, foster care, medical treatment, and/or simply the gift of time.
There are extraordinary funding challenges to help the voiceless animals that we see daily. As a fledgling Nonprofit Organization that has already successfully moved over 1800 animals through our walls, we are inspired in our work. SHS will need the community's financial support and the support of even more new friends.
In exchange for your trust, we pledge to continue to be here for you and the animals that depend on us.
We will continue to emphasize adoption, promotion of veterinary care, humane education, and spaying and neutering ... all to curb pet overpopulation and to continue to be a life-saving "open door" shelter. We will continue to seek out and inspire humans to volunteer their time and share their love for the animals.
The Sunrise Humane Society will continue to accept owner-surrendered animals from within our service area. Our goal is to find homes for all adoptable animals entrusted into our care, including those who may need a "makeover," some training, foster care, medical treatment, and/or simply the gift of time.
There are extraordinary funding challenges to help the voiceless animals that we see daily. As a fledgling Nonprofit Organization that has already successfully moved over 1800 animals through our walls, we are inspired in our work. SHS will need the community's financial support and the support of even more new friends.
In exchange for your trust, we pledge to continue to be here for you and the animals that depend on us.
Sunrise Humane Society is registered as a 501(c)3 non-profit organization. Contributions to Sunrise Humane Society are tax-deductible to the extent permitted by law. Sunrise Humane Society’s tax identification number is 85-4145296.
Hours:
By Appointment Only
Monday - Closed
Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Saturday - 11am - 4pm
Friday - 11am - 5:30pm
Sunday - 1pm - 4pm
Monday - Closed
Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Saturday - 11am - 4pm
Friday - 11am - 5:30pm
Sunday - 1pm - 4pm
Frequently Asked Questions
How is SHS funded? - As a not-for-profit, charitable organization, SHS depends on donations and fundraising projects for the majority of operational costs. We contract with the City of Fort Pierce to provide stray animal housing. We receive a fixed monthly amount, covering an estimated twenty-percent of our projected annual budget. Our other programs - humane education, community outreach and a volunteer program is secured entirely by donors.
SHS does not receive state, or federal funding, nor are we subsidized by United Way, Humane Society of the United States or any other Organization. Only through gifts from generous, caring donors can SHS feed the hungry, comfort the frightened, and rescue the mistreated animals of our area.
Is SHS an open-door shelter? - SHS accepts every domestic animal from City of Fort Pierce Animal Control Officers and Residents. SHS is an "open-door" or open-admission shelter, committed by our municipal contract with the City of Fort Pierce, to accept every stray, unwanted, sick, injured, or abused domestic dog, cat, bird or pocket pet in need.
As shocking and upsetting as it is, without an open-admission Shelter, pet owners will choose to “dump” the pet in a rural area, pass it on to an irresponsible person, or end its life inhumanely. This translates to SHS always working at maximum holding capacity. We rely great greatly on the Animal Welfare network, Foster homes and an aggressive adoption program to be able to move animals to create room for the daily influx of more unwanted animals.
How long are animals held at SHS? - Stray animals are held for a minimum of five (5) days to give owners an opportunity to find them. During this time, SHS staff make every attempt to reach an owner by scanning for microchips, perusing Facebook, Next-door and other outlets wherein owners may have posted lost pet information.
Once an animal is off its stray hold, it undergoes an extensive evaluation including medical and behavior assessments to determine the outcome of the animal. Outcomes include: Adoption, Transfer to area Rescues/Shelters or (as a last resort) euthanasia. We promise that every alternative will be explored before any adoptable animal is ever euthanized.
If an animal is made available for adoption, they may stay as long as is necessary to find them a good home. Before space constraints start to become an issue, we work with other Agencies to transfer animals providing a new potential adoption audience.
Why can’t you find homes for all the animals SHS receives? - Unfortunately, in most communities -- including our own Treasure Coast-- there are many more homeless animals than there are homes. Far more animals are turned in to Shelters across the country every year than there are available homes.
Animals, like humans, need more than food, water, and shelter. They need affection and companionship. Shelters can provide a temporary, caring place to house animals, but are no substitute for a permanent home. While animals are with us, our staff and volunteers provide the love and care the animals need; at the same time, we exhaust every avenue in order to find them good, loving homes.
Adoptable animals can be viewed on our Adopt page, PetFinder and Adopt-A-Pet. To accommodate potential-adopters schedules, we are open seven days a week for Meet-N-Greet appointments.
How is euthanasia done? - SHS has a licensed Veterinarian whom has signed their professional license onto the State of Florida Facilities permit and HCCE permit. That individual is part of a Team that make euthanasia decisions. The second member of that Team is a FL Licensed Euthanasia Technician. The third is a Staff member who has years of experience and daily interacts with the animals. This is a vast burden to bear and Team members do not take it lightly.
Compassion fatigue is a real and costly form of burn-out and SHS is always reflecting on how to support those in charge of making hard decisions. Euthanasia - the act of facilitating a humane passing - is done by an intravenous injection of an overdose of sodium pentobarbital. The procedure is a quick and painless one for the animal, exactly as what happens in the clinical setting of a Veterinary Hospital, with our Staff mourning the loss of one of their own.
What is Sunrise Humane Society doing to reduce the number of animals euthanized? - SHS works with other agencies that have programs to reduce the population by providing low-cost or no-cost spay/neuter to the community with no geographic restrictions. We plan to develop programs to educate children and adults on appropriate animal handling in order to make them better understand pets, to share the information with family members, and to help increase pet friendly families.
SHS does not receive state, or federal funding, nor are we subsidized by United Way, Humane Society of the United States or any other Organization. Only through gifts from generous, caring donors can SHS feed the hungry, comfort the frightened, and rescue the mistreated animals of our area.
Is SHS an open-door shelter? - SHS accepts every domestic animal from City of Fort Pierce Animal Control Officers and Residents. SHS is an "open-door" or open-admission shelter, committed by our municipal contract with the City of Fort Pierce, to accept every stray, unwanted, sick, injured, or abused domestic dog, cat, bird or pocket pet in need.
As shocking and upsetting as it is, without an open-admission Shelter, pet owners will choose to “dump” the pet in a rural area, pass it on to an irresponsible person, or end its life inhumanely. This translates to SHS always working at maximum holding capacity. We rely great greatly on the Animal Welfare network, Foster homes and an aggressive adoption program to be able to move animals to create room for the daily influx of more unwanted animals.
How long are animals held at SHS? - Stray animals are held for a minimum of five (5) days to give owners an opportunity to find them. During this time, SHS staff make every attempt to reach an owner by scanning for microchips, perusing Facebook, Next-door and other outlets wherein owners may have posted lost pet information.
Once an animal is off its stray hold, it undergoes an extensive evaluation including medical and behavior assessments to determine the outcome of the animal. Outcomes include: Adoption, Transfer to area Rescues/Shelters or (as a last resort) euthanasia. We promise that every alternative will be explored before any adoptable animal is ever euthanized.
If an animal is made available for adoption, they may stay as long as is necessary to find them a good home. Before space constraints start to become an issue, we work with other Agencies to transfer animals providing a new potential adoption audience.
Why can’t you find homes for all the animals SHS receives? - Unfortunately, in most communities -- including our own Treasure Coast-- there are many more homeless animals than there are homes. Far more animals are turned in to Shelters across the country every year than there are available homes.
Animals, like humans, need more than food, water, and shelter. They need affection and companionship. Shelters can provide a temporary, caring place to house animals, but are no substitute for a permanent home. While animals are with us, our staff and volunteers provide the love and care the animals need; at the same time, we exhaust every avenue in order to find them good, loving homes.
Adoptable animals can be viewed on our Adopt page, PetFinder and Adopt-A-Pet. To accommodate potential-adopters schedules, we are open seven days a week for Meet-N-Greet appointments.
How is euthanasia done? - SHS has a licensed Veterinarian whom has signed their professional license onto the State of Florida Facilities permit and HCCE permit. That individual is part of a Team that make euthanasia decisions. The second member of that Team is a FL Licensed Euthanasia Technician. The third is a Staff member who has years of experience and daily interacts with the animals. This is a vast burden to bear and Team members do not take it lightly.
Compassion fatigue is a real and costly form of burn-out and SHS is always reflecting on how to support those in charge of making hard decisions. Euthanasia - the act of facilitating a humane passing - is done by an intravenous injection of an overdose of sodium pentobarbital. The procedure is a quick and painless one for the animal, exactly as what happens in the clinical setting of a Veterinary Hospital, with our Staff mourning the loss of one of their own.
What is Sunrise Humane Society doing to reduce the number of animals euthanized? - SHS works with other agencies that have programs to reduce the population by providing low-cost or no-cost spay/neuter to the community with no geographic restrictions. We plan to develop programs to educate children and adults on appropriate animal handling in order to make them better understand pets, to share the information with family members, and to help increase pet friendly families.