When it comes to pets, the Humane Society is usually the first call. The 95-year-old nonprofit organization, founded locally in 1931, has a long and storied record in pet rescue and adoption.
Then as now, the services they offer are focused on pet welfare, health and adoption. Cynthia King, their new executive director, has a lengthy local career in community nonprofits and only came to the Humane Society of Sonoma County six months ago.
“I’ve always loved animals. I thought I wanted to be a vet when I was younger,” she told Weeklys last week. “I was drawn to the Humane Society for what they do and how well they do it.”
No surprise here, but King has pets. Two dogs. “I have a Covid puppy who is a mix, and then a neighbor rehomed their dog with us; she’s a chocolate lab,” she said. “I always feel like I have to explain that because I wouldn’t have bought a pure-bred dog that hasn’t been given to me.”
Rehoming of pets is one of the main services the Humane Society performs. But there are others: clinics for spaying or neutering pets (and other veterinarian services, including vaccinations), an Animal Adventure Camp for primary school children (registration starts March 3), licensing, plus pet microchipping and euthanasia.
There’s even a “dog’s day out” program where pet-lovers can pick up a dog to take out for the day. “It could be people who are visiting or people who live here; they can take them to the beach, take them to a winery, take them to a dog park,” said King. “Different things are great for the dogs to get out and experience,” especially for the larger dogs that can use the exercise and variety.
Adoption is of course a key mission of the Humane Society. They begin the process with an interview of the applicant to get a clear idea of what kind of pet they’re looking for, and if they’re looking for the right kind of pet.
King outlined the process when an animal comes in, whether a stray or a “surrender” from a previous owner. “When an animal is brought in, ideally it’s within 24 hours that we’ve done medical assessment, updated vaccines, checked their microchip and made sure they don’t have any infectious disease,” she explained.
Most of the pets pass through in a matter of days—some don’t even make it out of evaluation for health, behavior, etc., before one of the volunteers takes the animal home. Many stay less than 24 hours.
The society’s secret weapon in the adoption process might be Gabe Rathmann, who is coming up on his 30th year with the organization. “He’s very good at pairing people with the right pet. So if people can come with an open mind as to the animal that might be the best fit for them, we actually are quite good at creating that match,” King noted.
Whether or not Rathmann is a “dog whisperer” or a “people whisperer” depends on who’s asking, pet or person. “I would say a little of both. I came into this with the compassion and understanding of people, and then learned the animal component here. It then became a marriage of the two,” he said.
More than 1,800 pets went through the Humane Society of Sonoma County in 2025, about a third of which were dogs, and 63% were cats. Most of the felines pass through in “kitten season,” from March through September. The “other” category was 4%, said King. “That’s Guinea pigs, rabbits, the occasional rat, things like that.”
More information about adoptions and other services is available at humanesocietysoco.org.
