It has a staff of eighty five people who care for healthy animals and treat sick animals, investigate complaints, teach classes, and adopt out cats and dogs.

In 1883, three hundred and fifty concerned citizens organized the Hawaiian Humane Society, a local non-profit, with its first office on the Iolani Palace grounds in a cottage donated by King Kalākaua.

[2] When the Hawaiian Humane Society was first established, it also served to protect unwed mothers, the mentally ill, and adopted out children.

[4] In 1935 during the Great Depression, the Humane Society abdicated these child protection functions to public government agencies, such as the newly formed Child Protective Services.

[6] The Hawaiian Humane Society's programs and services focus on strengthening the human-animal bond: rescuing the abused, engaging volunteers, fighting for better laws and caring for more than 20,000 animals a year.