Central Coast Humane Society was incorporated May 21, 1974. We worked closely with the Lincoln County Animal Shelter, which at that time was a fledgling operation started in the mid 1960’s by a husband/wife team in a run-down building on county property. The shelter was overseen by the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office.
In 1979, the Sheriff’s Office turned operations of the shelter over to the Central Coast Humane Society (CCHS). In 1989, the CCHS turned the operations back to the Sheriff’s Office due to financial limitations and lack of volunteers.
From 1989 forward, the shelter has been, and still is, under the jurisdiction of the Sheriff’s Office. CCHS has no ownership of the shelter.
CCHS members continued volunteering at the shelter and:
• In 2001 established a volunteer program for the shelter to recruit new members.
• Started publishing and distributing flyers county-wide to advertise the animals available for adoption.
• Took animals to businesses and farmer’s markets to be seen and find prospective new homes.
• Wrote grants for the shelter to help with spay and neuter costs.
The shelter was always scantily funded until 2012 when a permanent taxing district was established to fund shelter maintenance and staffing. A sister organization, Friends of Lincoln County Animals (FOLCAS) operates a very popular “Pick of the Litter” thrift store in Newport. It helps fund the cost of spay/neuter of the shelter’s animals, and provides funds for CCHS to administer, to help with veterinary expenses for pets.
Once the shelter was on solid footing, Central Coast Humane Society saw a need to provide for animals in the community outside of the shelter system.
Today we operate in all of Lincoln County, where there are an estimated 24,500 companion animals (obtained from government census data). For those needing financial assistance, we help pay for:
• Spay/Neuter services for community cats (strays) as well as family pets.
• Treatment of injuries and illnesses, including dental infections and abscesses.
• Rabies vaccinations.
• Food for outdoor cat colonies.
A small fund for livestock emergencies is kept, and we host a rehoming program for pets.
CCHS does not have a permanent funding source, nor do we have a building. We get our funding from donations, grants, and fundraisers. All Board members and other volunteers are unpaid; we all work from our homes.
501c3 Organization
Tax ID: 23-7393221