Strong pet communities are built by people who care deeply about animals and recognize the value of working together.

For more than a century, the Humane Society of Summit County has been a resource for animals and the people who love them throughout Summit County and Northeast Ohio. At the heart of its work are people finding different ways to make life better for animals.

One of those supporters is a member of our own PetPocketbook community: Angie Bozic, owner of Boop the Snoot. Angie introduced us to HSSC and shared how she’s supported its work, including donating two nights of pet sitting to help raise funds through its Pawsibility Ball.

Her connection to HSSC is just one example of the many relationships that help make its work possible. And when we took a closer look at that work, we found an organization supporting animals and their people in more ways than we might typically associate with a shelter.

Support that reaches beyond the shelter

For animals who come through HSSC’s doors, the organization provides shelter, medical care, and a path toward a loving home. That includes animals who are sick or injured, as well as those rescued from situations involving abuse or neglect.

But HSSC’s support doesn’t stop when an animal is adopted, or even at the shelter doors.

Adopters can turn to HSSC for behavioral support as they adjust to life with a new pet. Through partnerships with local food pantries, its pet food assistance program helps families access food for the animals already in their homes. HSSC also brings basic veterinary care into the community through MABEL, its mobile veterinary clinic serving qualifying Summit County residents experiencing financial hardship. And through its Home for Life program, pet parents can make plans for their animals to be cared for if their pets outlive them.

The needs may look very different, but each program recognizes something important: supporting animals often means supporting the people who love them, too.

And HSSC doesn’t do that work alone. Partnership is one of the organization’s core values, and that shows up throughout its work. Foster families open their homes. Volunteers contribute their time and skills. Donors help fund care and programs. Local organizations help resources reach the people who need them. HSSC also works alongside animal control agencies, rescue organizations, and other community partners to connect animals with the right support.

Each person or organization brings something different to the table. Together, they help HSSC extend its reach and show up for animals and families in more ways than it could on its own.

Five dogs, five different paths

In October 2025, HSSC’s Humane Agents responded to a Norton home after reports of animal neglect and abandonment. Inside, they found five dogs living among trash and animal waste with little access to clean water. The team removed all five and brought them back to the shelter.

That night looked very different. After receiving vaccinations and medical care, the dogs had clean, safe places to sleep and people looking out for them. HSSC’s adoption team gave them new names to go with their fresh start: Dorothy, Blanche, Rose, Sophia, and Stan, after the characters from The Golden Girls.

Their stories didn’t all follow the same path. Dorothy, Blanche, Rose, and Sophia went on to loving homes. Stan faced serious medical challenges and was transferred to hospice rescue partner Old Dogs Go to Helen. Although his time there was short, he spent it surrounded by people and dogs who cared for him, and was able to reach the end of his life in comfort rather than neglect.

Five dogs, five different needs, and a network of Humane Agents, shelter staff, volunteers, adopters, and a rescue partner helping each of them get the care that was right for them. It’s a moving example of what HSSC’s work can look like when that network comes together.

Finding your way to contribute

There are plenty of ways to support HSSC’s work, and adopting a pet is just one of them.

You can open your home to an animal as a foster, volunteer your time, donate funds or much-needed supplies, or support one of HSSC’s fundraising events. Even sharing an adoptable pet or spreading the word about HSSC’s programs can help connect animals and families with the right resources. That's one way we're pitching in, too. We’re featuring HSSC adoptables through our Adoptable Tuesdays this month, and PetPocketbook will cover the adoption fee for the first featured pet who finds a home.

For pet care businesses, Angie’s contribution is another good reminder that giving back can also look like using what you already have to offer. Your time, services, expertise, or connections may be just as valuable as writing a check.

However you choose to get involved, every contribution becomes part of the larger network that keeps HSSC’s work moving forward.

The bigger picture

At PetPocketbook, we spend a lot of time thinking about the people who care for pets every day. Pet sitters, dog walkers, trainers, and other pet care professionals play an important role in helping pets and their families navigate everyday life.

But stories like HSSC’s are a reminder that pet care is bigger than any one profession. It includes the people who step in when an animal needs somewhere safe to go, the families who open their homes, the organizations that make resources more accessible, and the businesses and individuals who find their own ways to lend a hand.

That’s why organizations like HSSC matter to us. They’re part of the same bigger picture we see in the pet care businesses we work with every day: people using what they have to make life a little better for pets and the people who love them.

We’re grateful Angie introduced us to HSSC, and even more grateful for the work HSSC and its community continue to do throughout Northeast Ohio.

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