Our Mission & Vision
To rehabilitate and provide foster care for stray/abandoned dogs and cats with the goal of placing them into qualified, permanent adoptive homes; to provide assistance to pet owners who are unable to assume the cost of spaying/neutering their animals; to provide humane education and increase public compassion for animals in an effort to prevent future animal suffering and neglect; to support other animal welfare organizations.
Our History
HPPL was founded in 1989 by a group of individuals who were concerned about the plight of homeless dogs and cats in the Houston area; specifically, animals that would not usually be put up for adoption by the local animal shelters. These included animals with skin problems such as mange, heartworm positive dogs, FeLV/FIV-positive cats, and injured or neglected strays.
HPPL is a registered 501(c)(3) non-profit animal welfare organization. HPPL has a volunteer Board of Directors, and is staffed by a part-time Executive Director and many volunteers and fosters.
Our Programs
Organization Funding
The organization also depends upon profits garnered from fundraising activities that occur throughout the year, such as cat and dog shows, Best Friends Strut your Mutt, and Giving Tuesday.
Foster Care
HPPL does not operate a kennel or shelter. Instead, HPPL operates a foster care program. Pets will be admitted to the program on a case-by-case basis as budget and resources allow. Animals are then scheduled for veterinary visits and medical care. Most often, people who rescue homeless animals are the same people who volunteer to foster them until they are adopted. Foster parents are caring individuals who agree to provide food, shelter, transportation for veterinary work and to the adoption sites, and love for the animal while it is in their care. Foster parents are generally individuals who already have animal companions but cannot make a lifetime commitment to another animal.
Costs
Sometimes foster parents want to adopt their own foster animals. Should this situation occur, they complete the adoptions paperwork and pay the adoption fee.
Other foster parents whose animals are adopted leave with the satisfaction of knowing that they made a real difference in the life of a friend. Because they find the HPPL program successful and appealing, some people choose to work with the group time and again.
Pet Overpopulation
Statistics show that an unaltered dog and her pups can produce more than 65,000 additional animals in 7 years. A mother cat and her kittens can reproduce 425,000 new cats in that same amount of time!
HPPL is totally committed to putting an end to animal overpopulation. Therefore, NO animal is adopted from the organization until it is spayed or neutered.
Euthanasia
Adoptions
HPPL gets most of its public exposure through its Mobile Adoption Program. After an animal has been through foster care and is medically ready, it is placed into our weekend mobile adoption program. Houston-area animal retail stores, specifically PetSmart in the Baybrook (Webster) area, have graciously invited HPPL to bring rehabilitated pets into their businesses for adoption.
Adopters and interested parties should first fill out a cat adoption application or a dog adoption application. Then an HPPL adoption counselor will speak with the potential adopter to make sure that the home will be compatible and appropriate for the animal. If you don’t hear back from us, please contact hppl@hppl.org or text/call (713) 862-7287 so we can check on your application.
Adoption fees vary. The fee provides the adopter with a loving pet that has been vaccinated, dewormed, microchipped, and spayed or neutered. All HPPL dogs are heartworm-free and on a heartworm preventative. Cats have been tested for feline leukemia and FIV.
Our Philosophy
What is HPPL doing about Houston's pet overpopulation problem?
HPPL takes a proactive stance in supporting the reduction of pet overpopulation. NO animal may be adopted without being spayed or neutered. HPPL puppies and kittens are spayed/neutered prior to adoption. Additionally, HPPL provides vouchers directly to pet owners to help subsidize the cost of surgery.
Who pays for the care of HPPL animals?
HPPL works with veterinarians in the Houston area to provide quality care for all of our rescued animals. Veterinarians are paid by the organization. The majority of HPPL’s budget goes toward providing veterinary care, including spay/neuter, for the animals in our care. Since HPPL does not require that a fee be paid to admit an animal into the foster program, we are entirely dependent upon private donations to help stray and abandoned animals.
Does HPPL ever have an animal euthanized?
HPPL makes every effort to successfully rehabilitate each animal we come in contact with. However, since we accept stray animals regardless of their condition, we sometimes receive animals that cannot be saved. An animal is only euthanized, however, after examination and recommendation by a veterinarian that that would be the kindest thing we could do for that animal.
How does HPPL's mobile adoption program work?
Since HPPL does not have a shelter, we take our animals out into the community to find permanent homes for them. The PetSmart store in the Baybrook (Webster) area graciously invites the HPPL to bring rehabilitated pets into their stores for adoption. While in the store the animals are housed in kennels. Store space and kennel constraints limit the number of animals available.
What does the Homeless Pet Placement League do?
Homeless Pet Placement League (HPPL) is a nonprofit animal welfare organization that provides for the rehabilitation and adoption of stray and abandoned dogs and cats. HPPL does not operate a shelter; animals are cared for in the homes of those who rescue them. The rescuer serves as the foster parent until the animal is adopted into a permanent home. This cooperative effort between HPPL and the foster home helps animals that would not fit the criteria allowing them to be placed for adoption at an animal shelter; these include animals with skin problems such as mange or ringworm, heartworm positive dogs, and injured or seriously malnourished strays.
Become a Volunteer and join us!
You can help homeless animals in need by joining our team of dedicated volunteers!