Humane Society of Central Arizona

In 1972, seven Rim Country residents banded together to found the Payson Humane Society. The founders aimed to prevent the cruelty of animals through educational programs and building a Shelter. In 1979, the group purchased an A-frame house at 812 S. McLane Road in Payson.
For 33 years, the shelter was located in the A-frame house. Over the years, the Humane Society went through multiple changes. The Rim Country service area grew to cover a wide-ranging area, from Strawberry to Tonto Basin, Gisela to Young. In 2009, in order to more accurately reflect the breadth of the 900 square mile radius the organization serves, our name changed to the Humane Society of Central Arizona, (HSCAZ).
As the years passed and the population grew, the need for space began to exceed the capacity of the little A-frame on McLane. After a successful building campaign the Humane Society of Central Arizona moved into our new facility in May 2012. The new facilities are animal-friendly and provide an appropriate environment which embodies all the elements necessary to safely and compassionately shelter and place the animals who come our way.
With the new space, hardworking employees and dedicated volunteers, we continue to improve our record of service to the animals in our care. In 2011 HSCAZ took in 1,248 animals in the Rim Country. Of the 1,248 animals brought in to HSCAZ, we adopted 399 (32%) to their forever homes and reunited 248 pets (20%) with their families. In 2014, HSCAZ took in 967 animals, reunited 340 of these pets (35%) with their owners and adopted 409 (43%) to new forever homes. With the help of our rescue partners, our live release rate has improved to 94% of animals entering the shelter.