While officially incorporated in 1946, Nashville Humane Society's roots date back to 1887 when a society was formed to protect children from inhumane working conditions and save draft horses from abuse and neglect.
Today, Nashville Humane Society provides care and love to more than 4,000 animals every year, boasting an incredible 99% save rate. The shelter provides all stray, owner-surrendered, abused, neglected, and rescued animals with a second chance to find a loving, forever home. They also advocate for the humane treatment of animals and strive to make a difference in the battle against pet overpopulation. In addition to pet adoptions, Nashville Humane Society delivers humane education and responds to both routine and crisis situations via their Safety Net Resource Center, which delivers free and low-cost animal veterinarian services, pet food, and supplies. Their travelling "Big Yellow Bus" provides crucial free and low-cost spay and neuter services to Davidson and surrounding counties.
Nashville Humane Society places extreme emphasis on ensuring their adoption process gives animals the best possible chance of finding a loving, permanent home. You'll have to undergo a detailed screening process prior to being able to take a four-legged friend home. While rigorous, it makes for lasting adoptions.
To start the process, visit the shelter with all the excited members of your household, and meet with a Nashville Humane Society representative. This representative will guide you through the tough decision of deciding which animal to adopt and will help schedule a meet-and-greet between your chosen furry friend the rest of your pack.
Once you've met your match, it's time to complete an adoption form at the shelter.
To be eligible to adopt a pet you must meet the following criteria:
Once your adoption application is processed and approved, it's time to take your new family member home!
Adoption fees at Nashville Humane Society are as follows:
Your adoption fee covers vaccinations, deworming, FIV/FeLV testing for cats or heartworm testing for dogs, an identification tag for dogs and puppies, and a cardboard carrier for cats and kittens.
Our writing team is hard at work researching this shelter's adoption process and fees, so this page will be updated soon!
In the meantime, here's some nice-to-know info that applies to nearly every animal shelter, humane society, and rescue.
Because shelter dogs are full of love!
Is it because they know you saved them and love you harder for it?
I can't say for certain, but yes.
Jokes aside, there are three things all shelter dogs need to thrive in their new home:
Older shelter dogs, generally 1+ years old, may have experienced a lot of trauma, which often results in one of 8 common behavioral issues:
These issues are correctable! Your dog isn't broken, they're just damaged. You can fix them with enough love, patience, and a good training plan.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, finding good dog trainers can be hard. Like everything else, dog training is moving only. but there are great online dog trainers that are proven to work and can help get your new pup on the right path.
You can learn a lot about an animal welfare organization just by looking at their name.
Adoption processes vary drastically from organization to organization, but here are some general tips that apply in most instances. Note that we'll use the term "shelters" here for simplicity but it includes all types of rescue organizations.
If you have any questions about adopting an animal (what you'll need, what to expect, etc.) feel free to contact the PetLists team!
If you're looking to adopt a new dog, our Dog Adoption Guide is a must-read. It has everything you need to know about bringing a shelter dog home:
And we're adding new guides all the time.
