The Central Dakota Humane Society has had a shelter located three miles north of Mandan since 1994, but many people are surprised to find out that the organization has actually been doing good deeds in the community for more than 59 years. CDHS was originally formed by 12 members as the League for Animal Welfare in 1960.

There seem to be a few misconceptions about CDHS. We are not the pound. We do not euthanize healthy and adoptable animals. The members who drafted the shelter's mission in 1994 decided that we should be a no-kill shelter, which means if an animal is healthy and temperamentally sound, we will not euthanize it. We will keep the animal until it can find a loving home. The members today continue to live by this philosophy because we believe there is always the perfect guardian out there looking for the loving cats and dogs we house at the shelter.

Our main goals fall in line with our mission statement. Our first mission is to provide for, house, rehabilitate and relocate lost, strayed or homeless animals. Another important mission is to promote spaying and neutering of pets in order to cut down the number of the area's unwanted litters of puppies and kittens.

We ARE a vital partner and a needed asset in our community. Please help us continue our mission. We challenge every pet lover in the Central Dakota area to show your love for your own animals by giving back to those less fortunate - the stray, abandoned and abused creatures who find their way to our doorstep and who are eventually adopted into wonderful, forever homes.

• To provide for, house, rehabilitate and relocate lost, strayed or homeless animals.
• To provide appropriate medical services.
• To foster and promote humane treatment of all animals.
• To encourage proper responsibility by owners of animals in their care, training or control.
• To cooperate in the enforcement of laws that protect animals from cruelty or neglect.
• To promote spaying and neutering of companion animals to avoid unwanted litters.
• To help bring about a time when no more abused and/or abandoned animals will be destroyed anywhere.
• To do such acts and exercise such powers - within the law - as may be necessary, desirable or incidental to the carrying out of the purposes specified above.