To serve as a community resource for pets and people, dedicated to enhancing the welfare of all companion animals

Stephen Memorial, with the help of the Mahaska Humane Society, cares for over 1,000 animals per year. We provide animal control services for the City of Oskaloosa, rural Mahaska County and smaller municipalities that have signed contracts with SMAS. In addition, we also work to educate the community about responsible pet ownership through multiple community outreach programs and through our "Spay the County" program in which we offer spay/neuter assistance to low-income families within Mahaska County, IA. Though we are a small shelter, serving a rural community, we pride ourselves on having a progressive view on animal sheltering as a field as well as the ways animal welfare organizations are a value to the community. While we are not a "no-kill" animal shelter, we work hard to find alternatives to euthanasia through innovative programs such as our Barn Cat program for feral cats, Trap-Neuter-Return, waived adoption fees on adult cats and partnerships with shelters and rescue groups throughout the region who share the goal of decreasing unnecessary euthanasia. Because of this, we take pride in the fact that we are able to account for every stray animal in the area we serve, regardless of health or temperament, while still maintaining a live release rate of over 90%. We do not turn away any stray animals found in Mahaska County, and we do not pick and choose which owner-surrendered animals we will take in based on temperament or health.

Adoption Policy