From the Director’s Desk: Reflections on 2025 and Hopes for 2026
Dear Friends of Nashville Humane,
As I reflect on 2025, I am filled with gratitude — for the animals who trusted us, for the people who showed up for them, and for a community that continues to believe in the power of compassion. Your support made this year possible, and I am deeply thankful to each of you.
This past year brought meaningful progress. As families across our region faced economic challenges, we doubled the number of households we supported — because our mission extends beyond adoption. Together, we helped rescue more than 20 dogs from severe neglect during Operation Dark Passage alongside our partners at Animal Rescue Corps. At Nashville Humane, our goal is to keep people and pets together whenever possible. We also took a significant step forward in access to care by launching a new, affordable spay-and-neuter program with Metro Animal Care and Control, helping remove barriers for pet owners throughout our community.
Like many animal welfare organizations nationwide, 2025 also brought real challenges. We are serving nearly 20,000 dogs and cats annually outside our shelter walls, and we are tracking closer to 30,000 this year. At the same time, the animals entering our care increasingly require deeper medical treatment and behavioral support. These are not easy cases — but they are the ones that need us most.
Because of you, we continue to say “yes.”
Your generosity fuels compassionate, high-quality care for animals who have survived neglect, trauma, or hardship. It supports the dedicated staff and volunteers who meet each animal where they are and work tirelessly to give them the futures they deserve. And it ensures that, whenever possible, families stay whole — with their beloved pets by their side.
As we look ahead to 2026, we do so with excitement and purpose. This coming year marks 80 years of Nashville Humane Association serving animals and the people who love them. Eight decades of lifesaving, advocacy, and community partnership are milestones worth celebrating — and it is also a reminder of our responsibility to evolve, lead, and dream bigger for the next generation of animals in need. Our legacy is our foundation, not our finish line. In our 80th year, we will continue to expand access to care, strengthen community partnerships, and invest in innovative solutions that address the root causes of pet homelessness. Most importantly, we will keep compassion at the center of everything we do.
Thank you for being part of this legacy. Thank you for standing beside us during both the highs and the challenges. And thank you for believing — as we do — that every animal deserves safety, dignity, and love.
With gratitude and hope,
Laura Baker
Executive Director
