The Idaho Humane Society, founded in 1955, is the state's oldest and largest animal welfare group and veterinary charity. It provides animal control for Boise and much of Ada County, runs a large public veterinary medical center, and shelters animals at its newer Bird Street campus. Here is how adoption, surrender, animal control, and low-cost vet care work.
The Idaho Humane Society is the contracted, open-admission animal-control shelter for the Boise area, so it takes in every stray that comes to it. Alongside that open-door role, it publicizes no-kill outcomes and has displayed a no-kill certification, and during recent years it has reported saving more than 90 percent of the dogs and cats it shelters.
Its animal control division enforces city, county, and state animal laws for Boise, Eagle, Kuna, Meridian, and unincorporated Ada County. The work includes stray rescue, deputized field officers, dog-license enforcement, and cruelty investigation, with dispatch operating seven days a week and after-hours emergency response. Which jurisdictions take part can shift from year to year.
Adoption fees are published. Dogs carry a standard fee of $350, within a range from $25 to $500, and dogs held two weeks or more get reduced fees. Cat fees drop with age, and small animals and birds are inexpensive.
| Animal | Adoption fee |
|---|---|
| Dog (standard fee) | $350 |
| Kitten, 8 to 16 weeks | $100 |
| Cat, 17 weeks to 4 years | $50 |
| Cat, 5 to 7 years | $25 |
| Cat, 7 years and older | $10 |
| Rabbit | $25 |
| Guinea pig | $10 |
| Mouse, rat, hamster, or gerbil | $5 |
| Cockatiel | $50 |
| Parakeet | $25 |
Each adoption includes mandatory spay or neuter surgery, a first FVRCP vaccine for cats or DHPP for dogs, a rabies vaccine, and a microchip; most Ada County cities also require a dog license. Adoption is walk-in, processed in order of arrival, and the Bird Street center is closed Mondays.
The Veterinary Medical Center on the Bird Street campus is a public, low-cost hospital open to all pet owners regardless of income, offering affordable spay and neuter, dentistry, soft-tissue and orthopedic surgery, and euthanasia by appointment. It also serves as a teaching hospital.
Owner surrender is by appointment at the Dorman Street facility, with managed-intake counseling and priority for Ada County residents. Fees are $30 for a cat, or $40 for a litter of kittens, and $65 for a dog, or $70 for a litter of puppies, with small animals from $5 to $25.
To report animal cruelty, call the hotline at 208-343-3166. The society's deputized officers investigate abuse and neglect across the jurisdictions it serves.
Volunteers can start at age 12 with a parent or guardian, and must be 18 to handle animals on their own. The commitment is at least three hours a month over six consecutive months, after a short onboarding at the Dorman Street shelter. Fostering requires being 18 or older and living in Ada or Canyon County, and the shelter provides food, supplies, and medical care.
The wish list includes dog and cat food, kitten and puppy milk replacer, specific blanket sizes for the kennels, towels, and humane cat traps. The Idaho Humane Society holds a four-star rating from Charity Navigator with a 95 percent score and the Candid Platinum Seal, and its EIN is 82-0212536.
Dogs, cats, small animals, and birds at the Bird Street campus.
Contracted enforcement and stray rescue for the Boise area, seven days a week.
A public low-cost hospital and teaching hospital open to all pet owners.
Affordable surgery through the veterinary medical center.
Pet food for families in need and homebound seniors via Meals on Wheels.
Homes in Ada or Canyon County, with supplies and medical care provided.
Sources: Idaho Humane Society (idahohumanesociety.org) adoption, animal control, veterinary, and surrender pages; local reporting on its animal-control contracts; Charity Navigator and Candid (EIN 82-0212536). Retrieved June 2026. We are not affiliated with Idaho Humane Society and receive no compensation for this listing. Spotted an error? [email protected]
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