SOUTH LAKE TAHOE – The Lake Tahoe Humane Society  has big changes in place for 2019. Since 1967, their mission has been to provide animal welfare services to the South Lake Tahoe community, which according to a news release have been missing for the last two years.

Through restorative efforts and careful consideration of what would best serve the community, the Lake Tahoe Humane Society Board of Directors has decided to transition services for the South Lake Tahoe area to the Humane Society of Truckee Tahoe  and dissolve the organization, a news release states.  This solution will immediately restore animal welfare services in South Lake Tahoe, while creating a circular support system of shared resources for comprehensive care of pets in the entire Tahoe basin.

“Both organizations have a strong mutual respect, aligned mission and long-term vision to best support area pets and their owners,” the release states. “Moving forward, LTHS board members will join the HSTT team to deliver top-notch services to animals in the Lake Tahoe basin and beyond, stretching as far north as Sierra County and as far south as areas in Douglas and El Dorado counties.”

“We have been providing animal welfare services to Truckee, North Lake Tahoe and Sierra County for over 15 years and are equipped with the resources and contributor support to help the people and pets in the South Lake Tahoe region as well. In doing so, we will be able to offer the region a more cohesive, further-reaching pet care network for Tahoe animals, starting immediately,” Stephanie Nistler, Humane Society of Truckee-Tahoe’s executive director, said in news release.

Humane Society of Truckee-Tahoe has been saving and improving the lives of pets through adoptions, community spay and neuter services and humane education programs throughout the region for almost 25 years and has been voted North Tahoe/Truckee’s Best Non-Profit by community members the past 16 of 17 years, the release states. HSTT will provide spay and neuter vouchers to qualifying members of the South Lake Tahoe community based on household income, starting early 2019. To apply for a voucher, visit http://www.hstt.org/community-spayneuter-programs.

About the Humane Society of Truckee-Tahoe and the Town of Truckee: The Humane Society of Truckee-Tahoe was founded in 1994 by a group of volunteers. Shortly after establishment, the Humane Society and the Town of Truckee became partners and together have become the driving force of animal welfare in our region through rescue, protection, and adoption. The partnership has continued to grow over the past two decades, solidifying a long-standing partnership in September of 2013 by opening the region’s first public animal shelter together.

This facility, located at 10961 Stevens Lane in Truckee, maximizes efficiency and effectiveness by housing the public and private entities under the same roof.

The Humane Society of Truckee-Tahoe is saving 100 percent of the community’s adoptable homeless pets. In addition, they rescue animals from overcrowded shelters whenever space allows.

Since opening the doors to their new shelter, they’ve increased their adoptions by 150 percent.

For more information, visit HSTT.org or call 530-587-5948, or follow HSTT on Facebook at Facebook.com/HumaneSocietyofTruckeeTahoe.