The Humane Society of Utah, founded in 1960, calls itself the largest open-admission animal welfare organization in the state. It runs a shelter in Murray, public spay and neuter clinics in Murray and St. George, and adopts out close to 6,000 pets a year. It takes no government funding. Here is how adoption, surrender, and the clinics work.
The Humane Society of Utah is open-admission, meaning it welcomes any animal it can legally accept. Its placement rate is above the 90 percent benchmark often used to define no-kill, but it deliberately does not call itself a no-kill organization, and it states that it does not euthanize any healthy or treatable pets.
It is a local, independent nonprofit that takes no tax dollars or government funding, and it is not affiliated with national groups such as the Humane Society of the United States or the ASPCA. It does not accept strays directly, instead directing people who find a stray to local animal control.
Adoption fees use a sliding scale set per animal by age, breed, and length of stay. Dogs are pay-what-you-can up to $500, and cats are pay-what-you-can up to $175, with $15 off for adopters 60 and older and for active military and veterans on adoptions of $50 or more. Each adoption includes spay or neuter surgery, a microchip, initial vaccinations, and deworming.
Adoption is walk-in at the Murray center, though pets in foster care need an appointment. Adopters must be 18 or older with a photo ID showing a current address. The center is open Sunday through Friday, 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., and Saturday from 10 a.m. With a roughly four-day average stay, available animals turn over quickly.
The Humane Society of Utah runs public, low-cost spay and neuter and vaccination clinics in Murray and St. George that are open to everyone, not just adopters. These are clinics rather than full-service veterinary hospitals.
Owner surrender is open-admission but by appointment, scheduled through a coordinated entry system. The non-refundable surrender fee is $100 for a dog or cat and $30 for a rabbit or small mammal, and animals that have bitten someone within the past ten days are referred to animal control instead.
For lost and found, the organization does not take in strays directly; it points finders to local animal control and partners with a free facial-recognition reporting tool, while strongly recommending that owners microchip and register their pets.
Volunteers can start at 16 on their own, or at 12 to 15 with an enrolled adult, and animal-care roles ask for a weekly two-hour shift over six months after training. Fostering is for adults 18 and older, and the organization provides food, medication, supplies, and veterinary care.
The most-needed wish list items include soft training treats, spray cheese, kitten food, non-clumping cat litter, and Timothy hay, with Amazon and Chewy lists available. The Humane Society of Utah holds a four-star rating from Charity Navigator with a 98 percent score and the Candid Platinum Seal. Its EIN is 87-0256350.
Walk-in adoption of dogs, cats, rabbits, and small mammals in Murray.
Low-cost surgery and vaccines in Murray and St. George, open to all.
Open-admission by appointment through a coordinated entry system.
A community spay and neuter program for cats.
Resources and diversion help to keep pets in their homes.
Homes for young, nursing, recovering, and stressed animals, with supplies provided.
Sources: Humane Society of Utah (utahhumane.org) adoption, admissions, clinic, and about pages; Charity Navigator and Candid (EIN 87-0256350). Adoption and save figures are as reported by the organization. Retrieved June 2026. We are not affiliated with Humane Society of Utah and receive no compensation for this listing. Spotted an error? [email protected]
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