Valley River Humane Society (VRHS) was founded in 1969 as the Cherokee Humane Society. The initial Shelter and Thrift Store were located on county property at the old landfill on Fairview Road in Marble. In 1997, VRHS received $250,000 from the estate of Lillian Clifford which was used to purchase 12.5 acres in Marble off Hwy 74 and build the present Shelter.
VRHS takes in about 2000 homeless pets and strays a year, split equally between dogs and cats. Both cats and dogs are adopted locally. Additionally, some dogs are transported to reputable rescue organizations for adoption in the Northeast and Canada.