The Humane Society of Missouri, founded in 1870, is one of the oldest humane societies in the country. It places between seven and nine thousand pets a year, runs public veterinary hospitals, fields a statewide Animal Cruelty Task Force, and operates the Longmeadow Rescue Ranch for horses and farm animals. Here is how adoption, surrender, and its programs work.
Founded in 1870, the Humane Society of Missouri is a private nonprofit that places between seven and nine thousand pets in homes each year. Its work reaches well beyond adoption, into public veterinary care, low-cost spay and neuter, statewide cruelty response, and large-animal rescue.
When you ask to surrender a pet, the organization screens each animal and notes that submitting a profile does not guarantee a place in the adoption program, so it manages intake rather than guaranteeing every animal a spot.
Adoption fees are published, and a $10 rabies tag fee applies to every dog and cat. Cat fees use a pick-your-price model for adults, and the inclusions are detailed: cats go home with spay or neuter, an FVRCP vaccine, rabies registration, an FeLV test, deworming, flea treatment, a microchip, and starter food.
| Animal | Adoption fee |
|---|---|
| Dog, 9 months and older, over 35 lbs | $190 |
| Dog, 9 months and older, under 35 lbs | $325 |
| Puppy, under 9 months | $325 |
| Pit bull terrier or mix, 5 months and older | Fee waived |
| Cat, 9 months and older | Pick your price, minimum $35 |
| Kitten, under 9 months | $150 |
| Rabbit | $15 |
| Guinea pig | $10 |
| Ferret or chinchilla | $50 |
Every dog and cat adoption includes spay or neuter, first vaccines, a microchip, and starter food. Confirm current adoption hours and any specials on the society's website before visiting.
The Animal Medical Center of Mid-America, the society's veterinary arm, is described as the largest veterinary practice in Missouri and is open to the public for wellness, dental, surgery, rehabilitation, and end-of-life care at its St. Louis and Maryland Heights locations. A low-cost spay and neuter program, Operation SNIP, has run since 2001.
The Animal Cruelty Task Force, in place since the early 1960s, responds across all 114 Missouri counties and the City of St. Louis. It receives more than 20,000 suspected-abuse reports a year, handles puppy mills, hoarding, and dog fighting, and is the state's designated lead for animal welfare in disasters.
Longmeadow Rescue Ranch, on 165 acres near Union, rescues, rehabilitates, and rehomes horses and farm animals, and is billed as one of the most complete horse and farm-animal care centers in the country. It is open to the public on Fridays and Saturdays and is a partner of the national Right Horse Initiative.
Volunteer roles range from dog walking, which asks for one to three hours a week over at least six months, to shelter support and greeter shifts a few times a month, all after orientation. Fostering lets you choose when, how long, and which animals you take, and the society provides all food, medical care, and supplies.
The wish list spans the shelters and the ranch, from washable dog toys, blankets, and kitten supplies to stall bedding, muck buckets, and manure forks. The Humane Society of Missouri holds a four-star rating from Charity Navigator with a 93 percent score, and its EIN is 43-0652638.
Dogs, cats, small animals, and birds at two St. Louis area campuses.
Statewide rescue and investigation across all 114 Missouri counties.
A 165-acre horse and farm-animal rescue near Union, Missouri.
Public veterinary hospitals billed as the largest practice in Missouri.
Low-cost spay and neuter running since 2001.
Flexible foster homes with all supplies and medical care provided.
Sources: Humane Society of Missouri (hsmo.org) adoption, surrender, and cruelty task force pages; the Longmeadow Rescue Ranch and Animal Medical Center sites; Charity Navigator (EIN 43-0652638). Retrieved June 2026. We are not affiliated with Humane Society of Missouri and receive no compensation for this listing. Spotted an error? [email protected]
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