Humane Society of Eastern Carolina

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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. 

Frequently Asked Questions

What if someone found an animal or needs to re-home an owned animal?

If you have found a stray pet, please contact the county animal shelter of the county the animal was found in. Click here for a list of eastern North Carolina county shelters.

Please consider finding your dog or cat another home instead of surrendering him to a shelter; it will be less stressful for your animal, allows you to play a part in uniting him with a new family, and makes additional space available for pets whose lives are at risk.

There will always be more homeless animals than we can accommodate.  If you have an adoptable pet that you need to have re-homed, we recommend you contact all rescue resources in your area. Click here for a list of rescue groups in eastern North Carolina.

Please understand that the Humane Society of Eastern Carolina is committed to each of our dogs or cats for life! Because of the quality care administered to all of our homeless pets, we require a $50 surrender fee if your pet is accepted into our adoption program.   This fee does not come close to covering the significant cost of medically caring for, sheltering, and adopting out your pet.

Please fill out the surrender form and contact your veterinarian to obtain all updated medical information. Fax the surrender form* along with your veterinary records, including a Rabies Certificate, to us at 252-413-7387.  We will review your information and contact you to schedule a behavior and medical evaluation to accept your animal into our adoption program.

For additional information please email us at hsecgeneral@gmail.com or call us at 252-413-7247.

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 and third Wednesday of each month.  Click here for more information about volunteering and orientation.  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.

Television Appearances – WITN (Wednesday at 6:00 am) and WNCT (Monday at 8:30 am) 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