When I think back to the start of my tenure at the Kingston Humane Society, a few animals stick with me. Squid the Mastiff was the first dog I connected with, but we didn’t have long to hang out. He was adopted quickly. Farrah was the first kitten I named and subsequently fostered. She found a new forever home a few weeks after she arrived. Flower the 14-year-old Shih Tzu was the first animal I honestly wondered if we could save. She arrived with open wounds, skin lesions, multiple ear and eye issues, and severe dental disease. It was going to cost us thousands of dollars to make her healthy again; money we didn’t have at the time. After looking into her sad, cloudy eyes, I couldn’t say no, so I turned to the community. It was my first social media plea, and it opened my eyes to the generosity of our supporters. Within a few days we had raised more than the $6,000 required to provide all the veterinary care she needed, and after recovering from all her surgeries and treatments, Flower was adopted to a loving forever home.
Today, the same veterinary care that saved Flower’s life would cost twice as much; a financial reality brought about by many factors including inflation, tariffs, and the corporatization of veterinary medicine.
In the last year alone, we’ve saved Dani, Betty White, Suds and Tumble - Boxer pup survivors of a breeding facility - at a cost of over $22,000. Tigger the 16-year-old Tabby was surrendered with various issues including malnutrition, missing outer ear flaps, a heart murmur, a mass on his leg, and fractured teeth. His surgeries and treatment totaled $12,167. He was with us for more than 100 days before we found him a forever home. Recently we diagnosed Two-Socks the Boxer-cross with a cranial cruciate tear – like an ACL tear in humans. Her orthopedic surgery will cost $6,337. That’s six animals at a cost of more than $40,500; a staggering amount when you consider we normally treat, heal, and rehome around 1500 animals per year. Of course, not all of them arrive with multiple issues but it is becoming more frequent as well as incredibly expensive to continue providing the complex care some of our patients require.
Those costs are compounded by the increasing numbers of surrendered animals that come through our doors. It’s harder and harder for individuals to afford basic care for their dog or cat, let alone emergency or critical care. As people turn to us to save ailing or injured animals and find them new forever homes, we in turn, appeal to you. Your donations have kept the Kingston Humane Society operating for 142 years and throughout that time, you have overwhelmingly supported our efforts to save every animal that comes through our doors. They arrive alone, neglected, abused and hungry and together we give them a second chance at health, a second chance at comfort and second chance at love.
This summer, we hope you can help us once again with the increasing veterinary expenses we’ve been incurring. Together we give them a voice, we give them care, enrichment, and nutrition. Along the way, we also treat their wounds, heal their ills and give them every chance to live a long, healthy life.  It’s our commitment because you’ve told us again and again, that it’s your commitment. That’s why we firmly believe, their second chance starts with you… their second chance starts with us.
Donate to help with the increasing cost of veterinary care for animals like Dani, Tigger and Two-Socks here:
https://kingstonhumanesociety.akaraisin.com/ui/summerdm2026