About Us
Legally the Women's Humane Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, and formerly known as the Women's Humane Society, our organization began doing business under the name Women's Animal Center in 2018. For 155 years, Women's Animal Center has served the pets and the people in the Greater Philadelphia region, while advocating for the welfare of animals throughout our great country and beyond. Founded in 1869, Women's Animal Center is America's First Animal Shelter™ .
Located in Lower Bucks County, Pennsylvania, Women's Animal Center accepts all animals found or surrendered to us, regardless of age, breed, size or health. We are committed to placing all healthy or medically and behaviorally treatable animals into new homes by implementing proven methods of lifesaving and rehabilitation. We ultimately provide shelter, veterinary care, behavior training, rescue transfer and adoption services for over 3,000 animals in need each year, and further assist our community through lost and found services, whereby we reunite hundreds of lost pets with their families annually. Women's Animal Center also collaborates with other welfare organizations in our region as a member of the Philadelphia No-Kill Coalition. Our collective goal is to end the killing of 100% of savable pets in shelters, reserving euthanasia only for those that are suffering terminally or determined to be a danger to the public.
Women's Animal Center serves approximately 14,000 patients annually in our high-quality, affordable Veterinary Hospital, with a focus on making pet ownership affordable and helping to reduce owner surrenders related to financial burden. We offer a broad range of services to pet families in our community, including wellness exams; vaccinations; spaying and neutering; x-rays; bloodwork; dentistry; advanced laser surgery and more. Women's Animal Center is among just 15% of veterinary hospitals in North America to be accredited by the American Animal Hospital Association, recognizing us as one of the finest in the industry. Service fees raised through our Veterinary Hospital are directly reinvested into the shelter and rehoming of the surrendered, stray and abandoned animals in our care.
Not long after our founding, Women's Animal Center established one of the first humane education programs in America. Generations later, our focus on working with youth to build a more compassionate future for animals remains a key part of our mission. Women's Animal Center works closely with local schools, student clubs and scout programs to advance our animal welfare message. We also provide training programs and educational resources to strengthen the bonds between the pets and people throughout our local communities. Women's Animal Center reaches thousands of children and adults annually through education and community programming.
Women's Animal Center is a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, tax identification number 23-1352585. We receive no federal, state or local government funding, and depend upon the support, partnership and patronage of our local and national communities to accomplish our animal welfare mission.