March • Working in cooperation with the Missouri Department of Agriculture (MDA) and the St. Francois County Sheriff’s Department, the Humane Society of Missouri Animal Cruelty Task Force rescued 124 dogs, 67 cats and 4 puppies, from a rescue facility near Bonne Terre, Missouri.
May • At the request of the State Emergency Management Agency, the Humane Society of Missouri sent a fifteen-member Disaster Response Team to Joplin, Mo. to rescue and shelter pets affected by the devastating tornado. The team consisted of professionals trained in emergency animal rescue and shelter operations and included a veterinarian to care for sick and injured animals.
July • The newly enacted Canine Cruelty Prevention Act is put into use. Missouri Department of Agriculture, working with Attorney General Chris Koster, obtains a restraining order against the owner of a breeding facility in Monett, MO. HSMO assists with the rescue of 73 dogs and puppies, as the owner failed to provide a sanitary environment and adequate housing to the animals.
