Shelter Spotlight - Hawaiian Humane Society

By Jackie Brown

About the Hawaiian Humane Society

When most people think of Hawaii, they imagine the perfect island getaway filled with rainbows, beaches, and breathtaking sunsets. However, for residents of this tropical paradise, a different word represents Hawaii, and it's about as far away from “escape” as you can get.

“Kuleana” is a uniquely Hawaiian principle. Loosely translated, it means “responsibility.” Yet, according to Natalie Spencer, interim director of operations of the Hawaiian Humane Society (HHS), it encompasses more.

“The word ‘kuleana’ refers to a reciprocal relationship between the person who is responsible and the item they are responsible for,” Spencer says. For the HHS, it’s more than providing support and services to Oahu's 1 million plus residents. It means ensuring the work benefits everyone involved — animals, owners, and volunteers, alike.

People for animals from the very start

The HHS logo bears the slogan, “People for animals. Animals for people.” Spencer says these words honour both the spirit of kuleana and the origins of the HHS, itself.

In the late 1800s, in many parts of the world, the humane treatment of animals was often not a priority. However, in 1883, 350 concerned Hawaiian citizens joined together to advocate for working and companion animals’ welfare. Among the group was King Kalākaua, the last king of Hawaii, who helped to found the organization that became the HHS.

“The Hawaiian Humane Society is one of the nation’s oldest humane societies and the only one to have royalty as a founding member,” former president and CEO Pamela Burns wrote in a newsletter published by the HHS. The king granted the early activists permission to operate out of a residence on the Iolani Palace grounds. The HHS remained there until 1942 when the headquarters moved to the current campus in Mōʻiliʻili.
In 1897, the society made headlines for yet another first when 26-year-old Honolulu heiress and socialite Helen Kinau Wilder was deputized as the first female humane officer of the HHS. This was no honorary title. It came with a badge and the power to enforce laws against animal cruelty.

In the early days of the HHS, most animal welfare efforts were focused on working animals rather than pets. But as the society grew, its focus broadened to include education and enforcement. The officers raised public awareness about the proper care, feeding, and humane treatment of all animals, working and companions — a history that speaks volumes about how the people of Hawaii value animals, both then and today.

Concern for animals shared by all

According to Spencer, this shared history has shaped how the entire community views animals and values animal welfare.

“My story is probably similar to many,” Spencer says. “As a child, my family helped foster a deep empathy and love for animals. We often visited the HHS, walking the same campus and grounds where I work today.”
“We would visit with the animals, and I would sometimes cry because I could not take any home after our visits,” Spencer recalls.

In 2009, that changed when Spencer, as an adult, adopted her first dog, Daisy, from the HHS. “Adopting her was the impetus for exploring the industry more seriously as a career path,” Spencer says.
That exploration led Spencer to a lifetime vocation. “The HHS hired me in 2011, and this is where my love for the work expanded even further,” she says.

Between 2011 and 2014, Spencer led various areas of the HHS, including volunteer services, advocacy, community outreach, and foster care. “I was able to experience, firsthand, what mission-driven work feels like and see the impact we can make by being a community partner,” says Spencer

She recently rejoined the organization as director of human resources in 2019, then stepped into the interim director of operations role in 2021.

Teamwork leads to success

Spending time in various roles and departments within the HHS has helped Spencer appreciate one of the society’s greatest strengths: “The HHS team is the heartbeat of the organization,” she says. “That’s most evident when I think about the day-to-day victories, when we see how our work impacts the people we serve, both internally and externally.”

One unforgettable example Spencer cited was a backyard breeding rescue operation the HHS undertook in 2011. According to Spencer, “It was the largest rescue the organization had ever conducted. The community stepped up, and it was all hands on deck for every team member, volunteer, and supporter.”

The HHS team helped provide ongoing care to more than 200 unsterilized dogs for more than a year while a court heard the case against the breeders.

“The day we finally gained ownership of all the dogs, including the litters that had been born during the lengthy trial, we cried, we laughed, we rejoiced in being able to get justice for these animals,” Spencer recalls. “But most of all, we were so happy we could finally, officially give them the lives they deserved in homes throughout the community.”

Socially Conscious Sheltering

Given Hawaii’s enduring commitment to animal welfare, it’s no surprise that the principles of Socially Conscious Sheltering guide the HHS. This concept supports the best outcomes for the animals and people HHS serves.

“These principles not only inform the way we care for the animals we shelter but — equally important — they also inform how we work with our community,” says Spencer. “That means always leading with integrity and transparency.”

“We work closely with neighbouring islands’ humane societies to share knowledge and resources because we face many of the same issues, though we serve different communities,” she says. “We are committed to being curious and innovative as a team to ensure the best outcomes for everyone.”

The HHS offers many services and programs to Oahu residents, including pet adoptions, lost and found pet services, animal surrender, spay and neuter services, humane investigations, pet food bank, youth and community education programs, and end-of-life services (humane euthanasia and cremation).

The organization’s Pet Kōkua outreach and education program focuses specifically on measures designed to keep pets and their people together, such as providing aid for families in need that can help improve their animals’ quality of life. A foster care program provides temporary, safe housing for pets in need if a family is in crisis.

“Some of the most vital services and programs we offer are those that tackle the issue of pet overpopulation. That effort enables us to multiply our mission outside of our shelter doors so that — ideally — we can prevent animals from needing us to begin with,” Spencer says.

“Our public, low-cost, or free spay and neuter services prevent unwanted litters, with a special emphasis on the sterilization of free-roaming cats. Our foster care program provides hundreds of caring homes for medically vulnerable animals. And our transfer program enables us to partner with other rescue organizations in the shared goal of saving more lives.

Vision for the future

The HHS struggles with many of the same issues facing shelter organizations throughout the nation, such as reducing pet overpopulation and coping with the unique challenges created by the COVID-19 pandemic. However, since the Hawaiian economy is highly dependant on tourism, the HHS has taken a big hit in recent years.

“Continuing to grow and fundraise in an economy that is still recovering from the lack of tourism and job creation over the past two years could have a decades-long impact on the HHS,” says Spencer. “We may not even be fully aware of the scope yet. This pandemic has greatly changed our community. And, in turn, we have seen animals suffer when families lose housing and financial stability in an economy that is already difficult to thrive in.”

Despite these challenges, the team at the HHS will soon be able to provide even more support to the West Oahu community at a second site, which is slated to open in early 2023.
That progress is primarily thanks to the commitment and support of the community, says Spencer. “Oahu is known as the gathering place,” she says. “This is truly how I view our organization. The people who support our mission and who care as deeply for animals as we do congregate here with us. Thankfully, this is as true now as it was 140 years ago when our organization was founded.”

Jackie Brown is a freelance writer with an extensive background in pet health care, including veterinary and pet health topics, general care, nutrition, grooming, behaviour, training, lifestyle, breeding, showing, and the human-animal bond. Jackie is a proud dog mom to one crazy miniature poodle and human mom to two crazy boys.