I really love seeing posts like this. So many good dogs at the shelter needing homes. Both my daughter's dogs were from the Humane Society and mine was going to be taken there if it wasn't adopted, so thanks to Liz, I took her in and she's my best friend. The Humane Society is my charity of choice, and I take food and blankets/towels over when I have them. I will be going to get a dog from there next week to keep mine company.
BTW...the Humane Society (if yours is like mine) does not conduct home visits. That's what rescue groups do. I get what they're trying to do, but they're often too militant and invasive about the process. HS usually doesn't have the resources for that. They do however make sure the pet is fixed, microchipped and has all its shots. It's a pretty good deal. Puppies are always more expensive than older dogs because it's somewhat harder to move an older dog.
As a side note: If anyone has ever seen commercials for the Humane Society with Sarah McLachlan singing "Angel" in the background...they're real tear-jerkers. But what they don't tell you is that they are trying to raise money for the Humane Society of New York. Money raised does not go into a general fund to be shared amongst all states. That isn't necessarily a bad thing, but I like to keep my donations local. And a little more transparency would be appropriate.
Good on you slewfoot.
