Foster humane attitudes and behavior

Humane Education, the catalyst of our work, continues to be of utmost importance to us. Our school presentations, facility tours, publications, exhibit booths, and speaking engagements are just some of the ways we seek to educate the public.

Learn more about having Clay Humane visit your school →

Another effective method of educating the public on humane issues for the Society, is our annual poster contest, offered county-wide to 5th graders. The theme of the contest is the pet overpopulation problem. Students are asked to create a billboard demonstrating the importance of spaying and neutering. Ten schools participate each year, reaching approximately 1,500 students. The 1st place winner’s poster is made into a billboard and displayed on Blanding Boulevard in Orange Park, Florida for an entire month. What a way to get a message across.

Animals As Healers

Pet-assisted therapy can significantly reduce pain, anxiety, depression and fatigue. Our pet-assisted therapy volunteers visit with seven area facilities on a monthly basis. This CARE Team (Companion Animals Reaching Everyone) provide comfort and enjoyment for nursing home residents, as well as  help people recover from or better cope with health problems.

Contact us about a visit →

CARE team dogs and handlers are registered with the Alliance of Therapy Dogs, one of the largest therapy dog organizations in the country. Alliance of Therapy Dogs testing is designed to make sure our volunteers and yourtheir dog have a good relationship with each other and that the dog has the right temperament for therapy dog work.

Our team includes cats as well as dogs and we are always looking for qualified participants, both two and four-legged. If you feel your pet would do well with therapy dog testing, contact us for more information about volunteering.

Assisting Those With Pets

Clay Humane provides the following needs-based assistance to North Florida citizens:

Spay & Neuter Services

The Clay Humane Indigent Care Program assists citizens under financial strain. Those who qualify receive spay and neuter services, along with rabies vaccination, at a reduced rate or free of charge. This one-time assistance is provided to help local residents take care of their existing animals. For more information and eligibility questions, please call the clinic (904) 276-7729.

Pet Food Bank

With the aid of local corporations and concerned citizens, Clay Humane provides a pet food bank for those in need to make sure no loved and cared-for animal goes hungry. Thousands of nourishing meals have been provided to animals since the inception of the program. During the holiday season, Clay Humane partners with the Food Pantry of Green Cove Springs to distribute pet (and human) food at the beginning of December. Consider a donation.

Pet food donations are received at the clinic daily. Find out what items we desperately need by downloading and reviewing our WISH LIST.

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Animals In Need Of Urgent Rescue

Clay Humane is part of the Clay County Florida disaster preparation plan and has trained a Disaster Animal Response Team (DART). The DART team is not only ready to lend assistance in our own community, but is also prepared to travel as needed to other parts of the Southeastern United States.

At the request of the Humane Society of the United States, Clay Humane was called into action during the Florida’s firestorm of 1998 and in the wake of the devastating Hurricane Katrina. After experiencing the affects of disaster first-hand, the team understands the importance of this program and preparation more than ever. In recent years, with the help of Clay County Fire and Rescue, we’ve expanded our emergency training to include basic first aid for humans, as well. Although our team was not deployed in the wake of Hurricane Irma, we were prepared and were able to offer temporary housing for our county shelter cats following catastrophic flooding and emergency care for community animals and orphaned wildlife.

As evidenced in the past, our DART team will be an asset to any area in the event of disaster. Contact us about community disaster preparedness workshops →

Supporting Animal Welfare

Clay Humane assists Clay County Animal Control with animal welfare related issues to help ensure that their care has been addressed in a humane manner.

We provide veterinary care, medical direction, veterinary supplies, and additional training for animal control staff.

Trained To Perform Work.

Through programs established with Paws With A Cause and Patriot Service Dogs all dogs in training receive the initial care, vaccinations, and x-rays at our veterinary clinic free of charge. Paws with a cause and Patriot Service Dogs are non-profit organizations that provides trained service dogs to the disabled.

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