Home with us until they’re home with you.℠

FOHA is the enduring gold standard in quality for no-kill rescues, saving and improving the lives of homeless cats and dogs. We strive to:

  • Bring an end to euthanasia of adoptable companion animals
  • Provide a safe haven for abused and abandoned animals
  • Provide food, shelter, medical care, rehabilitation, and compassion to homeless animals
  • Find permanent, loving homes for the animals in our care
  • And, most importantly, bring about a time when there will be no more homeless pets and every dog and cat can be guaranteed a loving home

Our Story: From Past to Present, the Legacy of Anne Lewis

Since 1973, FOHA has saved and placed in forever homes more than 17,000 dogs and cats that would otherwise have been abandoned or killed. This success is the legacy of Anne Lewis. 

Judge Anne Lewis became involved in animal rescue in the late 1960s, when another animal-related organization trapped a feral mother dog and puppies on the family’s property. Although Anne fought to save them, all were ultimately euthanized by the animal organization that had trapped them. Anne, who had been only vaguely aware of the plight of homeless animals prior to this tragedy, joined a series of animal rescue organizations believing she could prevent this kind of incident from happening to other innocent animals. Failing to find an organization that adhered to a strict no-kill policy, Anne founded her own organization, Friends of the Animal Shelter and Guardians of the Homeless Animals, d/b/a Friends of Homeless Animals, in 1973. She devoted the remaining 32 years of her life to the rescue and care of homeless animals. 

Our No-Kill Philosophy and Lifetime Commitment to Our Animals

Friends of Homeless Animals makes a lifetime commitment to every cat and dog we bring into our organization. If at any time after an adoption is completed, the adopter can no longer care for the animal for any reason, they must return it to us. FOHA is committed to taking that animal back and searching for its new home. This is written into every adoption contract signed by our adopters. 

We are also committed to keeping our long-term, harder-to-adopt resident dogs comfortable at our shelter in their own individual homes equipped with a bed, front porch, turf outdoor running area, and air-conditioning and heat. We are a true no-kill organization that rarely performs euthanasia except in situations where animals are suffering and can’t be helped medically.