Peninsula Humane Society
Encyclopedia
The Peninsula Humane Society (PHS) is one of the largest humane organizations in the United States. Located in San Mateo County, California, it is a private non-profit charitable organization with approximately 50,000 members. It is an animal rescue
(including wildlife
rescue), rehabilitation
and adoption
operation, whose physical plant is situated at Coyote Point in the city of San Mateo
. PHS has been responsible for considerable progress in the California Legislature with new humane laws in the state, especially since the late 1970s. PHS has been characterized as a progressive and innovative humane organization.
. A full time staff of approximately 100 people are applied to these endeavors. Regarding animal rescue, PHS operates a fleet of rescue trucks and vans and has associated personnel trained in wildlife rescue as well as pickup of stray domestic animals. In house veterinary care is available for intake animals who are injured or infirm. In 2005, approximately 15,000 animals were taken in, among whom all the medically suitable animals were thence adopted into qualified homes. Humane education has always been a strong part of the PHS mission; a staff of trained docent
s are systematically sent out to virtually all of the schools in San Mateo County as well as other venues, a strong docent staff being a critical resource to PHS. To supplement the full time staff PHS has approximately several hundred part time volunteers.
PHS conducts animal control functions under contract with most of the cities within San Mateo County.
Where needed, these activities are coordinated with local law enforcement personnel to insure basic animal care is not being withheld, and that pet owners are able and responsible to care for their animals.
PHS also operates a low cost clinics for animal vaccination
as well as spay and neuter functions. One outreach program uses docents who take pets to senior centers to provide animal contact and cheer to senior citizens, who would not otherwise have such an experience. PHS has an on site wildlife animal care center and conducts classes in animal behavior.
, through spay and neuter programs as well as finding homes for animals.
Rescue group
An animal rescue group or animal rescue organization is dedicated to pet adoption. These groups take unwanted, abandoned, abused, or stray pets and attempt to find suitable new homes for them...
(including wildlife
Wildlife
Wildlife includes all non-domesticated plants, animals and other organisms. Domesticating wild plant and animal species for human benefit has occurred many times all over the planet, and has a major impact on the environment, both positive and negative....
rescue), rehabilitation
Wildlife rehabilitation
Wildlife rehabilitation is the process of removing from the wild and caring for injured, orphaned, or sick wild animals. The goal of wildlife rehabilitation is to provide the food, housing and medical care of these animals, returning them to the wild after treatment.-Process:Rehabilitation begins...
and adoption
Adoption
Adoption is a process whereby a person assumes the parenting for another and, in so doing, permanently transfers all rights and responsibilities from the original parent or parents...
operation, whose physical plant is situated at Coyote Point in the city of San Mateo
San Mateo, California
San Mateo is a city in San Mateo County, California, United States, in the San Francisco Bay Area. With a population of approximately 100,000 , it is one of the larger suburbs on the San Francisco Peninsula, located between Burlingame to the north, Foster City to the east, Belmont to the south,...
. PHS has been responsible for considerable progress in the California Legislature with new humane laws in the state, especially since the late 1970s. PHS has been characterized as a progressive and innovative humane organization.
Services
Principal services offered are animal rescue, veterinary care of sick and injured animals, adoption services and humane educationHumane education
Humane education is defined as the teaching of compassion and respect related to animal welfare, environmental, and social justice issues. It works to makes the acquisition of relevant knowledge, skills, and commitment to live ethically, sustainably, and peaceably the very purpose of education...
. A full time staff of approximately 100 people are applied to these endeavors. Regarding animal rescue, PHS operates a fleet of rescue trucks and vans and has associated personnel trained in wildlife rescue as well as pickup of stray domestic animals. In house veterinary care is available for intake animals who are injured or infirm. In 2005, approximately 15,000 animals were taken in, among whom all the medically suitable animals were thence adopted into qualified homes. Humane education has always been a strong part of the PHS mission; a staff of trained docent
Docent
Docent is a title at some European universities to denote a specific academic appointment within a set structure of academic ranks below professor . Docent is also used at some universities generically for a person who has the right to teach...
s are systematically sent out to virtually all of the schools in San Mateo County as well as other venues, a strong docent staff being a critical resource to PHS. To supplement the full time staff PHS has approximately several hundred part time volunteers.
PHS conducts animal control functions under contract with most of the cities within San Mateo County.
Where needed, these activities are coordinated with local law enforcement personnel to insure basic animal care is not being withheld, and that pet owners are able and responsible to care for their animals.
PHS also operates a low cost clinics for animal vaccination
Vaccination
Vaccination is the administration of antigenic material to stimulate the immune system of an individual to develop adaptive immunity to a disease. Vaccines can prevent or ameliorate the effects of infection by many pathogens...
as well as spay and neuter functions. One outreach program uses docents who take pets to senior centers to provide animal contact and cheer to senior citizens, who would not otherwise have such an experience. PHS has an on site wildlife animal care center and conducts classes in animal behavior.
Policies
The Peninsula Humane Society has been a force in humane education since the early 1980s. In the mid 1980s PHS the Board of Directors embarked on a substantial campaign to create policies on animal welfare, which were promulgated to enhance animal care within the county and also influenced state and national awareness of animal care. Topics of policy addressed included humane treatment of farm animals, policies on trophy hunting, spaying/neutering and other medical procedures on pets. The organization has been active in promoting awareness of the need for pet population controlPopulation control
Human population control is the practice of artificially altering the rate of growth of a human population.Historically, human population control has been implemented by limiting the population's birth rate, usually by government mandate, and has been undertaken as a response to factors including...
, through spay and neuter programs as well as finding homes for animals.