Mission & History
Our Mission Statement: RCHS is dedicated to advocating for and working toward a responsible and humane community. We provide shelter and adoption opportunities for pets that are homeless and promote animal welfare through community programs that benefit both animals and people.
Click here for our Strategic Plan.
With more than 60 years of history, the RCHS has a lot for which to be proud. It began in the late 1950s when 2 local women, Ellen Hollrock Porter and Olive Smith, were concerned about the many stray animals they saw and cared for. They assembled a group of people to discuss the idea of creating a humane society. Ed Wheeler, a farmer in Pittsford, began working with the group and became its first humane agent. His farm was used to house the stray and unwanted animals for many years until the shelter was built.
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The RCHS was legally incorporated on April 29, 1959. Land was purchased from the Stevens Farm on Stevens Road in Pittsford for the new shelter and the groundbreaking took place in October, 1966. The $45,000 building was dedicated and opened on October 1, 1967. In 1975 a stable was built to house large animals and in 1998 renovations to the shelter were required and completed. In 2009 an addition to the shelter was constructed to bring the administrative staff into the building from the brown building next door (formerly the stable). Included in the addition was an upgrade to the HVAC system and the animal intake area was reconfigured to be more efficient.
Over the years the RCHS estimates it has cared for or assisted over 120,000 animals including dogs, cats, rabbits, guinea pigs, birds, and, in the early years, skunks, loons, fawns, goats and horses, to name just a few. Many initiatives took place over the years including fundraising events, humane education, Junior Humane Society programs, pet therapy, pet adoption, spay & neuter programs, dog training, membership and more. Support came from individuals and businesses throughout the county with monetary donations, supplies for the shelter, publicity and fundraising. The RCHS continues to implement programs to help the people and animals in Rutland County.
