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The Humane Society of Eastern Carolina's mission is to serve as a safe haven for homeless and neglected pets and act as a resource to the community. By educating the public about issues pertaining to animals, we feel that we can work towards the elimination of over breeding of dogs and cats and teach owners to be responsible pet owners. At the same time, we hope to facilitate adoption of pets to good homes so that we can allow more unwanted animals to find a temporary home with us.

Mandee Foushee Lancaster, the HSEC president, was recently featured in Pieces of Eight, the East Carolina University faculty and staff newsletter. Mandee has been a volunteer with HSEC since 2006 and we are so pleased to have her serve as president of the organization. Click here to read the article about Mandee on page 2 of Pieces of Eight.

Frequently Asked Questions

What if someone found an animal or needs to re-home an owned animal?
HSEC must evaluate every animal on temperament and health before taking it in. Effective November 5, 2007, evaluations are held Mondays from 4:00 to 6:00 pm and Fridays 1:00 to 2:30 pm by appointment only. Appointments will require approximately 30 minutes. There is also a mandatory surrender fee, minimum of $30, but please call for more information. There is a $10 discount to any animal that is already spayed/neutered. Please bring the animal's medical records, collar/leash, medications, and surrender donation to the appointment. Intake of the animal depends on how well they evaluate and the amount of space at the facility. HSEC will only collect the surrender donation if the animal is taken in by HSEC.

Why the name change?
People were confusing us with the county animal shelter. We are a non-profit no-kill organization. We receive no county funding. Also, we wanted to change our name to reflect our business practices. We accept animals from outside of Pitt County and adopt to owners outside of Pitt County.

Does no-kill mean that you never euthanize?
No. We euthanize for health or behavior reasons. If an animal is aggressive, we cannot allow the animal to be
adopted out for obvious reasons. That is why it is so important that we evaluate animals before they come into our facility.

Do you have a paid staff?
We have a paid director and a small staff that assures us that our facility meets the standards required by the state veterinarian’s office.

Do you need volunteers?
Always. Orientations are the second Saturday of each month (except for December) 1:00 for cats and 3:00 for dogs. You must be 15 to volunteer or be accompanied by an adult at all times.

Some interesting facts about the Humane Society of Eastern Carolina

HSEC has been around in one form or another since the 1920s.

We have always had a No-Kill philosophy.

We have placed feline leukemia and feline AIDS positive cats with the Marley Fund.

The Pitt County Sheriff’s Department uses a dog donated by the Humane Society as a police dog.

We have placed disabled dogs with an organization that matched them with disabled people.

We have placed a potbelly pig, guinea pigs, hamsters, birds, ferrets, rabbits, prairie dogs, etc.

We no longer investigate cases of animal cruelty for the county.

We donate supplies that we do not use to the Friends of the Pitt County Animal Shelter and Saving Graces for Felines.

In 2005 three different organizations worked to save one dog.

About 200 volunteers work with us annually.

Ongoing Projects:

Television Appearances – WITN (Wednesday at 6:00 am) and WNCT (Tuesday at Noon) Provide Time for Animals and Volunteers to Appear Each Week

PETsMART – Off site cat adoptions at PETsMART each month. View the PETsMART schedule.

Money Jars – Jars Placed Throughout the area Collecting Monetary Donations

PetMatch – A Program Utilizing Temperament Testing and Profiling to Match Pets With the Best Possible Homes

Fido’s Friend – A Program that Pairs Volunteers with a HSEC Animal and Teaches them Basic Obedience

Tinsley Fund – A Fund in Honor of Former Director, Patricia Murphree that Provides Financial Assistance to Deserving Owners who would like to Spay/Neuter their Pets.

Maisey’s Fund - A Fund in Honor of an Injured Dog that Received Tremendous Community Support in order to Repair a Broken Jaw. The Fund is Earmarked for Other Animals in Need of Veterinary Care.

Humane Society of Eastern Carolina
Humane Society of Eastern Carolina					HSEC Home
Adopting a pet:	Adoptable Animals	Dog Spotlight	Cat Spotlight	PETsMART schedule	Our Success Stories
About HSEC:	Location and Hours	About Us	Calendar of Events	PawPrints Newsletter	Officers and Contacts
Animal Resources:	Animal Cruelty	Emergency Resources	Lost & Found	The Vet's Corner	Related Websites
How you can help:	Volunteering	Membership	Donations	Your Comments	In Appreciation