Past, Present and Future

You can play a part

The Humane Society of Marion County, Inc. has been serving homeless and neglected animals in Ocala and Marion County for 40 years. We’ve come a long way since our humble beginnings in 1964 with a couple of foster homes and a few good people with a burden to care for these helpless creatures. The first facility,  built in 1979 was located about 15 miles west of Ocala off Hwy 200 in the black jack woods where very few people lived.  Today, this area is very heavily populated  and continues to grow. Shown below is a picture of the first facility, taken shortly after the facility opened.

The present facility, drawing seen below, was opened in September of 2005.  The new facility is located within the heart of Ocala and is very convenient to reach regardless of the direction one is traveling.   See Locations page for a map and address of the new facility.

How can I be a part of the present and future :

Their are several ways that you can have a direct effect upon the success of the Humane Society of Marion County.

One way is to become a volunteer. The Humane Society needs volunteers to walk dogs and pet cats. They need people who are willing to be part of a team of volunteers that provides basic training to a number of the dogs. They need people who are willing to do a variety of miscellaneous duties at the animal shelter. They even need people with certain skills to work in the office. They need people to assist at the Thrift Shop, getting the merchandise out on the floor, tagging, etc.  As you can see, we have many hands on jobs that include working with the animals and other jobs that do not include contact with the animals. Click below to go to the "Be a Volunteer" page.

Another way is to become a financial donor. This can also  be done in several ways. You could become a member of the Humane Society of Marion County.  Their are a number of different membership levels in order to meet a wide variety of abilities to give. It cost over $400,000 a year just to operate the shelter. You may also make a donation to the Capital Campaign fund. This fund is to provide funding to complete additional  phases of construction  listed above.   Click below to go to the "Memberships" page.