Rensselaer County Humane Society is an incorporated 501(c)(3) organization committed to an effective no kill approach.


The Rensselaer County Humane Society began as an animal cruelty task force created by the Rensselaer County Legislature under the auspices of the District Attorney’s office in 2007 to “provide the police with a list of individuals who could be called upon to assist with investigations.” In May 2011, due to the overwhelming support of the citizenry, and upstanding, important work we had done, we became incorporated as the Rensselaer County Humane Society. Our ultimate goal is to operate a shelter out of the Rensselaer County Correctional Facility, which would benefit animals, inmates, and the County as a whole. There are numerous working models throughout the country and we have a Sheriff in Jack Mahar who supports this endeavor.