Bitter Root Humane Association Slumber Pawty 2025

A Little History

The Bitter Root Humane Association was formed in 1972 by a group of local animal lovers. In 1984, Countess Margarite Bessenyey gave the group land on Fairgrounds Road and Betty Cook, as President, led volunteers in raising money to build a shelter. That building served as a temporary home for countless animals for over 35 years. During that time, the shelter also housed hundreds of animals during the major wildfires of  2000 through 2016, and took in animals from numerous neglect and hoarding cases, including the recent, highly publicized Husky case. Time, however, took its toll and that shelter became unsafe and non-functional for our staff, volunteers and animals that call the shelter home. In March of 2020, after over a decade of fundraising efforts, construction began on a new, modern shelter which opened to the public in July 2021.  We are proud to say, we have no time or space limits to finding the perfect home for our “guests”!