A recent KUNR story about the Nevada Humane Society spending money to renovate its lobby has received a flurry of angry comments, as well as direct messages to Our Town Reno with complaints about the animal welfare non profit.
“Tacky Midtown bar” and “Marriott hotel rebrand” were some of the comments accompanying an Instagram post which showed the spacious lobby with plenty of art displayed, a clean multi colored carpet and modern looking furniture.
Britton Griffith, a former board member, started the fireworks on Instagram asking if this renovation was necessary, before writing “there are much better ways to show the community they're taking care of these animals.”
Melissa Davis, listed as the non profit’s chief philanthropy officer responded once and then was accused of gaslighting, while more angry comments were added.
“We've transferred 90% of all unclaimed dogs and 98% of all unclaimed cats from WCRAS, our highest transfer rate in the last four years,” Davis wrote in her own comment adding blue hearts to her bullet points. “That’s 1,758 animals transferred as of today, compared to just 109 transferred by all other rescue partners combined. We pay 58% of the shared facility’s operational costs at 2825 Longley Lane, more than $139,000 in 2024, funded by donors, not taxpayers. As for the lobby remodel, it’s not about appearances, it’s about outcomes. Studies show that most people avoid shelters because they expect to feel sad, so yes, people do want their shelter to look warm & welcoming. If people don’t walk through our doors, they won’t adopt, volunteer, or get involved. A warm, welcoming space helps more animals get adopted faster, and that’s the ultimate goal. Lifesaving starts at the front door. And thanks to our donors and supporters, we’re able to make that first impression a hopeful one, for pets and people alike. Also, the question is not caring for the animals OR doing a lobby remodel. It is AND. We have provided exceptional care for the animals in our shelter, AND because of the generosity of a group of passionate donors, we did a lobby remodel. If you’d ever like to take a tour, ask questions, or see our data firsthand, I’d be happy to connect,” she concluded.
As part of one of her many rebuttals to this comment, Griffith wrote: “Also, did NHS have a study with the current location feeling "sad"? A survey? A community outreach? "Studies have shown"... sure, do these ambiguous studies relate to this project? Especially after previous construction you've done? I have had many complaints, concerns, conversations and the lobby in 15 years never came up lacking random seating.”
The conversation also went to the Reno Reddit in a post titled *Wanted to post in case they take it down* Ex Board Member Calls out Nevada Humane Society in renovations”.
There in the comments, there were also concerns expressed that the lobby and office areas had been upgraded, rather than focusing on higher wages for employees, the quality of the kennels, better care, including more walks for dogs, and more space for all the animals in the back.
This led to conversations about high staff turnover, volunteers not wanting to return and former employees being let go due to budget cuts, while efforts to unionize have been fought against by management.
“The neon signs and fancy couches really threw me off too. Idk it just seems like not a animal shelter environment anymore, it feels like they've invested more money and effort into the aesthetic of the place rather than the well being of the animals,” one Redditor wrote.
Within both conversations, there were complaints about how the Nevada Humane Society allegedly only picks and chooses animals from the county shelter which are most likely to get adopted, leaving smaller animal rescues with the work to help take care of animals with medical or behavioral issues.
There was also mention of a petition. On change.org one titled Justice for Dogs at Nevada Humane Society has gotten over two-thousand signatures.
We emailed the Nevada Humane Society and CEO Jerleen Bryant, and after several days received this lengthy statement via email.
“We understand that conversations about our recent lobby remodel have prompted a wide range of reactions, and we appreciate all those who care deeply enough about animal welfare to speak out, as there is much work still to be done within this space,” the statement attributed to Bryant indicated.
“The decision to renovate our front lobby was not made lightly. It was a necessary step toward improving the overall experience for adopters, volunteers, and staff and, ultimately, for the animals in our care. Studies in animal sheltering have consistently shown that first impressions matter. Creating a space that feels welcoming and hopeful increases the likelihood someone will walk through our doors, stay a while, and adopt. That’s not just anecdotal, it’s directly tied to better adoption outcomes and faster movement of pets into homes.
The remodel was made possible thanks to the generosity of donors who supported this specific effort via restricted gifts, separate from our general operating budget. These gifts were made with an outlined directive for allocation and NHS is ethically bound to honor those restrictions. The project did not pull funds from animal care, staffing or veterinary services.
As the contracted partner and acting surrender agency to Washoe County Regional Animal Services (WCRAS), NHS transfers in a very high percentage of unclaimed stray animals; over 90% of dogs and 98% of cats as of May 2025. While it's true that we operate with limited space and staffing, we do not "cherry-pick" animals. Our team evaluates each case in collaboration with WCRAS, following a 5 day period where animals remain at WCRAS in the hopes their owners will retrieve them, to determine how we can provide the best care and chance at adoption. We regularly accept animals with medical and behavioral challenges as our veterinary services can help manage without putting further strain on smaller orgs with lesser resources. That said, we recognize smaller rescues play an important role in filling care gaps across the system and we respect and appreciate their efforts.”
Bryant went on to explain how the Nevada Humane Society is independent of Washoe County Regional Animal Services (WCRAS), even though physically the two are next to each other and also have shared goals.
“WCRAS focuses on lost and found pet services, field services, enforcement and public safety whereas NHS focuses on care for animals while waiting for a new home, adoption, owner/guardian surrenders and community support. You are welcome to review the refreshed goals and formalized agreements to enhance animal care between the entities, which can be found online.
If you have questions about our operations, funding, or priorities, we encourage you to reach out and take a tour. As a nonprofit, we engage an independent professional auditor each year to review our financial statements; this process ensures accuracy, transparency, and accountability, and the final audited report is publicly available alongside our IRS Form 990. Independent audits are widely recognized as a nonprofit best practice, conducted by objective, external CPAs. They are a key step in demonstrating financial transparency.
We invite everyone to drop by to visit our animals or reach out to our leadership team to chat.”
Our specific query about how much the lobby renovation had cost went unanswered.
Our Town Reno reporting, June 2025
