"The Humane Society of the Tennessee Valley values and protects all animals...by striving to end pet overpopulation, by sheltering the homeless, by shielding the beaten and abused, by educating and advocating so that the suffering might end.”

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HSTV Policies and Procedures

The Knox County Humane Society was chartered in August, 1885. The founding members were Peter Kern, L.C. Shephard, H.H. Taylor, M.T. Davis, John M. Brooks and R.N. Hood. In 1996, the name was changed to The Humane Society of the Tennessee Valley to better reflect the geographic area the organization serves.

For more than fifty years, the Society operated the only animal shelter in Knox County, taking in as many as 17,000 animals annually. Under contractual agreements with the City of Knoxville and Knox County, HSTV provided housing for animals brought in by city and county animal control officers as well as those brought to the shelter by the general public.

However, on December 31, 2000, the Society canceled animal housing contracts with the city and county to focus all resources on adoption, education and spay/neuter.

On January 1, 2002, the Humane Society of the Tennessee Valley became a "No Kill" organization. The term "no kill" means that no puppy, kitten, dog or cat in our care will be euthanized simply because there is insufficient space to house them.