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A voice for those who cannot speak.
For 55 years, generations of Northeast Arkansans have helped build NEAHS from 26 local members into the organization it is today.
It started with someone who chose to act.
In the spring of 1971, Judy Furr encountered animals in Jonesboro
who urgently needed someone to advocate for them. She refused to
look away.
Her courage brought 26 neighbors together. On April 30, 1971, NEAHS
was born, with no shelter yet, just borrowed space and people who
showed up anyway.
Fifty-five years later, the shelter exists because this community
never stopped showing up. Here's the story, in their own words and
records.
From the NEAHS Archive
Fifty-five years leaves a paper trail. These are moments from our history, certifications, groundbreakings, everyday acts of community support, pulled from local newspapers and our own records. Use the arrows to move through them.
May 1971
Secretary of State Kelly Bryant certifies NEAHS as a nonprofit. Dr. Jack Jones, the Society's president, receives the certificate. This is the moment NEAHS became official.
July 1971
Just months after forming, NEAHS partnered with a local vet clinic to run "Dog of the Week," a weekly newspaper feature finding homes for adoptable dogs. It's a tradition still alive on our Adopt page today.
March 1985
NEAHS President Mary Jo Lindeman accepts proceeds from a school newspaper project, donated by MacArthur Jr. High students Jill Jenkins and Spencer Guinn. Young people have supported this work for generations.
November 1992
Birchwood Square merchants present NEAHS with an $8,000 check toward a new building. Local businesses helped build what NEAHS is today.
October 2003
A shelter dog named Trixie ceremonially breaks ground for NEAHS's new facility on East Highland Drive. The permanent shelter dream, decades in the making, becomes real.
Today
A new generation carries the work forward.
Care for the animals. Strengthen the community around them.
NEAHS exists to protect animals, strengthen the bond between people and pets, and give Northeast Arkansas the resources to care for the animals who depend on us. Sometimes that means finding a new home. Sometimes it means medical care, foster support, food, education, or helping a lost pet get back to the family already waiting for them. Since 1971, that work has been guided by the same promise: to be a voice for those who cannot speak.
4,677
Animals adopted since 2016
93%
Save rate in 2025
2,723
Lives saved in the last 5 years
55+
Years serving Northeast Arkansas
Animal welfare doesn't stop at the shelter doors.
NEAHS's work goes far beyond adoption. From emergency medical care to equine rescue to keeping struggling families fed alongside their pets, every program exists because a real need in Northeast Arkansas called for it.
Equine Rescue
Providing safety, rehabilitation, and new opportunities for horses in need.
Medical Clinic
Making essential spay and neuter care more accessible to qualifying local families.
Pet Food Pantry
Helping families through difficult seasons so more pets can remain in the homes that already love them.
Humane Education
Helping the next generation learn responsible pet ownership, compassion, and humane animal care.
The people who keep the work moving.
Caring for animals takes more than a building. NEAHS is powered every day by the staff, volunteers, foster families, veterinarians, supporters, and community partners who step in wherever they're needed.
Amy Schmidt
Administrative Director
Darla Medina
Administrative Assistant
Dr. Abby Isbell
DVM
Lisa Agyeman
Veterinary Technician
Lisa Trevathan
Community Outreach Coordinator and Animal Welfare Investigator
Rhonda Qualls
Veterinary Technician and Animal Welfare Investigator
Alexis McKenzie
Equine Team
Amber Flemon
Kennel Manager
Eric Darnell
Kennel Staff
Melissa Perry
Kennel Staff
Alianzo Williams
Kennel Staff
Austin Ofarrell
Kennel Staff
David Powers
Kennel Staff
Be part of the next chapter.
NEAHS exists because generations of Northeast Arkansans chose to show up for animals who needed them. Fifty-five years later, that story is still being written, and there's a place in it for you.