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, and injured or seriously malnourished strays.
HPPL is a registered 501 (c)(3) non-profit animal welfare organization. HPPL has a volunteer Board of Directors, and is staffed entirely by volunteers who receive no monetary compensation.
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. Each animal must be admitted to the program through contacting the HPPL Program Office at 713-862-7387 or hppl@hppl.org . 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
HPPL is totally committed to putting an end to animal overpopulation which results in over 100,000 animals being put to death each year in Houston. Therefore, NO animal is adopted from the organization until it is spayed or neutered.
Euthanasia
Mobile 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.
Currently, HPPL is doing adoptions through PetSmart’s 7-Day in-store Adoption Center. Adopters and interested parties may email hppl@hppl.org, or text/call (713) 862-7287, to set up a meeting with an animal. Someone is often on site Saturday afternoons as well.
Pre-Covid, HPPL would also hold adoption days on Saturdays from 11-4. Animals were brought to crates in the front of the store, with towels and toys for comfort and entertainment. People could visit with them there.
Individuals who are interested in adopting a pet are asked to complete an adoption application. An HPPL adoption counselor then speaks with the potential adopter to make sure that the home will be compatible and appropriate for the animal selected.
A fee of $100.00 is charged to adopt each cat and $200 for each dog. 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. All cats have been tested for feline leukemia and FIV.
Our Philosophy
What is the HPPL doing about the pet overpopulation problem?
HPPL takes a proactive stance in supporting the reduction of pet overpopulation. NO animal may be adopted from the HPPL unspayed or unneutered. HPPL puppies and kittens are spayed or neutered at 12 weeks of age prior to adoption.
Who pays for the care of HPPL animals?
The HPPL works with veterinarians in the Houston area to provide quality care for all of our rescued animals. Veterinarians assisting the HPPL are reimbursed for their services by the organization. The majority of the HPPL budget goes toward providing veterinary care, including spay/neuter, for our animals. Since the HPPL does not require that a fee be paid to admit an animal into the foster program, we are entirely dependent upon private donations from members and nonmembers to help stray and abandoned animals.
Does the HPPL ever have an animal euthanized?
The 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 the HPPL mobile adoption program work?
Since the 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 tend to currently limit the number of animals available at each site.
A fee of $100 for cats and $200 for dogs is charged to adopt an animal from the HPPL. In the case of dogs, your $200 provides you with a loving pet that has been vaccinated (DHLPP, Rabies), dewormed, spayed or neutered, microchipped and is heartworm free and on heartworm preventative. All of our cats are also vaccinated (FVRCP-C, Rabies), dewormed, spayed or neutered, microchipped, and have been tested for feline leukemia and FIV.
What does the Homeless Pet Placement League do?
The Homeless Pet Placement League, Inc. (HPPL) is a nonprofit animal welfare organization that provides for the rehabiliation and adoption of stray and abandoned dogs and cats. The 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!