About Us
Our Mission
Pet Haven Inc is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit (FEIN 23-7328137), and is Canyon Country’s first and oldest animal shelter. We are a limited admission, no-kill cat shelter and adoption center.
Our mission is to help cats find loving homes in our community, and promote the overall health and well-being of cats, both domestic and feral.
We do this by:
Providing a safe, clean, and loving shelter for cats that need forever homes.
Giving sick and injured cats who might otherwise be euthanized a chance to rehabilitate and become adoptable.
Spaying/neutering, vaccinating, and checking the health of every cat we adopt out.
Helping keep your cat healthy by offering low-cost services, vaccines, and medications.
Reducing overpopulation through low-cost spray and neuter services.
Taking in surrendered cats in need of rescue or new forever homes.
Promoting the love and responsible care of all cats by educating the public through advocacy and community outreach.
Because we receive no government funding and provide services at- or below-cost, we rely solely on donations, fundraising, and bequests from our supporters to keep going.
Our Story
Pet Haven was founded by Helen Wilson in 1972
Helen G. Wilson was only 10 years old when she opened her first dog hotel behind her house. She made sure that the stray dogs who came to the “hotel” were protected and taken care of.
At the age of 31, she became a college teacher at Northwest Nazarene College in Nampa and because dogs could not live in the dormitory, she took in a stray cat on campus. During the next 14 years, she learned to love and appreciate cats, and took this love with her when she moved off campus.
In 1972, at age 58, she organized the first humane society in Canyon County. In the beginning, Canyon County Pet Haven (as it was then called) primarily housed dogs and boarded stray cats at willing veterinary clinics. In 1996, with the help of charitable contributions, we were able to purchase our own building, which now exclusively focuses on helping cats.
In 2021, we officially changed our name to Pet Haven Inc.
Over the last 5 years we have adopted out over 2,000 cats to good homes.
Approximately 5,000 cats pass through our doors each year for some type of service, whether it be adoptions, spaying/neutering, vaccinations, surrenders, nail clipping, medications, or simply answering questions for concerned owners. We also provide off-site adoptions at PetSmart in Nampa.
The need for our services increases yearly. To meet this demand and better serve our community and the cats in our care, we plan to purchase a bigger, better facility. If you are interested in helping us build a better future for the cats in Canyon County, please consider donating to our cause.