July at New Hampshire Humane Society: A Promise Kept

July flew by faster than we can say "Dog Days of Summer" three times fast.

As we come up for air after another busy month, we're celebrating 118 adoptions, 135 low-cost spay and neuter surgeries, and 285 volunteer hours that made it all possible.

From hosting our second on-campus low-cost vaccine clinic and helping more than 30 animals receive affordable preventive care to guiding our shelter residents through Fourth of July fireworks with plenty of extra TLC, July was full of moments - both big and small - that reminded us why we do this work.

We received generous donations from our incredible community, watched pups head out on Dog for a Day adventures, saw kittens wrestle their way through our free-roaming rooms, and met one very, very special senior kitty.

Community Day: Neighbors Helping Neighbors

One of our favorite days of the month was our second Community Day of 2026.

Thanks to the generosity of Chewy, an entire tractor-trailer filled with pet food and supplies arrived at our shelter. The contents are always a surprise, but one thing never changes: every item is distributed free of charge to community members and organizations helping pets and the people who love them.

We're incredibly grateful to MIBOX for donating a storage container and Ready Equipment for providing a forklift rental, helping everything run smoothly from start to finish.

More than 15 community partners picked up supplies throughout the day, ensuring these much-needed resources reached families and organizations across our region.

We'd be remiss not to recognize the small but mighty group of volunteers who make Community Day possible. Rain or shine, in sweltering heat or chilly weather, they show up time and again to unload pallets, organize supplies, and lend a hand wherever it's needed.

Community Day simply wouldn't happen without them.

To each and every one of you - thank you.

The Story of Queen Spice

Some stories remind us exactly why we make the promises we do.

Queen Spice was adopted from New Hampshire Humane Society in 2014. At the time, none of our current team members knew they would one day work together to bring her home again.

Then we received a call from an animal hospital in Yorktown, New York.

A senior cat had been left at their front door in a carrier alongside all of her belongings. She had a microchip, and that microchip led them back to us.

That cat was Queen Spice.

With every adoption, we make a promise to each animal: if the day ever comes when their family can no longer care for them, we'll always be here.

More than a decade later, that promise still stood.

We knew we had to bring Spice home.

The incredible team at Heights Hospital for Animals cared for her while we worked through the logistics. Paperwork had to be completed before she could cross state lines, and then there was one final hurdle - finding someone willing to make a 12-hour round trip to bring her back to New Hampshire.

One amazing volunteer - and their two children - answered the call.

They made the journey, giving up an entire day to ensure Spice made it home safely. She traveled back with a cozy setup, plenty of love, and an entire team cheering her on every mile of the way.

Moments like these remind us that volunteers aren't just helping - they're changing lives.

Once back at the shelter, Spice settled into her temporary home and completed her medical evaluation in just a few days.

She became available for adoption on Friday at 4:30 p.m.

By 5:00 p.m., she had been adopted.

Spice's story belongs to so many people.

To the staff at Heights Hospital for Animals for caring for her and helping coordinate her return.

To the volunteer and their children who spent an entire day driving hundreds of miles to bring her home.

To our Animal Care Team for welcoming her back.

To our Medical Team for preparing her for her next chapter.

And to her adopters, who gave our sweet senior girl the happy ending she deserved.

Most importantly, we're grateful that Spice had a microchip. It gave someone a phone number to call and allowed us to keep the promise we made to her more than a decade ago.

Every adoption creates space for the next animal who needs a soft place to land.

Queen Spice was one of them.

As we look ahead to August, we hope your days are filled with late-night swims in one of New Hampshire's beautiful lakes, sweet corn on the cob, and evenings spent watching the sunset - or the sunrise, depending on what kind of person you are.

Thank you to every adopter, donor, volunteer, foster, partner, and supporter who made July possible. Every hour volunteered, every dollar donated, every adoption, and every act of kindness helps create stories like Queen Spice's.

We'll be back next month with another story worth telling.

Until then, here's to the dog days of summer.

With gratitude,

The New Hampshire Humane Society Team