Whitley County Humane Society Animal Shelter

03/28/2025

Rose's DNA process was so interesting to us and we're excited to have partnered with Embark through this.
Follow the link below and list us as your shelter and not only will you receive a discount on DNA tests, but a portion of proceeds will come back to HSWC
And if it's HSWC alumni, we'd love to hear about your results!

What breed is your dog? Learn their breed mix and screen for health risks with an Embark Dog DNA Test. Knowledge is key to giving your dog a happy, healthy life.

03/28/2025

Mason
Lab mix
1 yr.
77 pounds
I was a transfer in from another shelter as a stray.
I have been in a shelter for 5 whole months.
I am playful with other dogs here at this shelter.
I have been going on bike rides here to help burn my energy.
If you are looking for a fun dog to have different adventures with, I'm it !

03/28/2025

Daisy
Hound/Boxer mix
2 yrs old
45 pounds
I came to the shelter as a stray and sadly no one has called about me.
I am a very sweet girl.
I know all kinds of behaviors.
This place can be loud and scary sometimes, making me anxious. But out of this environment, I should calm down and enjoy life a little bit more.
I do have a dog friend here that I like to hang out with. So far, I don't seem to be a big player.
I have a gorgeous red coat and cute little wrinkles on my forehead.

03/28/2025

DARWIN

DSH orange tabby/white male, stray

My new name is DARWIN and I was brought to the shelter as a stray. I've been on my own for a long time so meeting new people is hard for me. But I'm trying my best to relax and enjoy all the attention I get. I'm a big boy with a handsome orange coat and gold eyes. As with most orange boys, we're affectionate and loyal. If you like my look and need a new friend, I'd like to meet you. We might have a bright future together.

03/28/2025

AL

DSH black/white tuxedo male, 6 years old, neutered, stray, FIV+

Hey everyone, I'm staying at the shelter and am sooo glad to be here! My name is AL, and life on my own has been rough. I've had to defend myself a few times against other animals and now I test positive for FIV+. You'll notice my ears are a little different too. That's because I've had ear infections that went untreated. But I'm better now and can live a normal life as an only cat or with other FIV+ felines. And through it all, I've kept my sweet personality! I love attention and can make biscuits like crazy. If you think we could be friends, let's meet today and talk about the possibilities!

03/28/2025

LILLY

DSH white/gray tabby female, 5 years old, stray

I'm LILLY, a sweet girl just waiting to meet you! I was brought to the shelter as a stray, and I'm enjoying all the good food and attention I'm getting here. I have a pretty white/gray tabby coat and light green eyes. I get to know new people pretty quick and return good attention with purrs and head rubs. Would you like to meet soon? Maybe you and I will fall in love!

03/27/2025

It's all just proof that a dog lives here
Teethmarks in the baseboards
Crumpled up mats by the front door
Nothing without fur on it anymore
It's all just proof that a dog lives here
Toes getting stomped on as you take off your shoes
Bundling up in the freezing cold when it's the last thing you want to do
Coming home from the party when it feels too soon
It's all just proof that a dog lives here
Shushing every time the doorbell rings
Postponing the purchase of nice new things
The joy that the front door always brings
It's all just proof that a dog lives here
Being loved for every single thing that you are
Constantly needing to vacuum your car
Your regular walk becoming too far
It's all just proof that a dog lives here
The signs of the slowing down never feel good
The patches of their favorite parts on your hardwood
The knowing you'd stop time for them if you could
It's all just proof that a dog lives here
The parts of the house not aesthetically pleasing
The wait by the door when they know that you're leaving
The fear that without them there wouldn't be meaning
It's all just proof that a dog lives here
And the day will come when you can refinish the floors and get a new couch and repaint the baseboards but you won't want to anymore because it's all just proof that a dog lived here and I know it can get overwhelmingly messy but in the grand scheme it is all such a blessing because of all the good years your house is getting all because a dog lives here
By Josie Balka

Today we remember Arnold, Flo, and Bess-all a part of our forever foster program- which allows terminal dogs to live out their lives in a home environment. We are thankful to our fosters who open their homes to them and we are grateful they ended up in our care to keep them comfortable.

03/25/2025

Results are in and we are just as surprised as you are! Maybe she'll grow a little more, maybe it's just enough American Eskimo to keep her small. Either way, we had fun on this journey and Rose has found her forever home! We also learned she has 5 siblings in the area, one in Fort Wayne! How cool! We have reached out to the humans with dogs listed as 'family' to see if we can learn anymore.
Our winner was LD Foss who guessed 2/4 breeds correctly and donations covered all but $15 of the test!

03/25/2025

DIAMOND

DSH black female, 2 years old, stray

Sometimes life is full of good stuff and sometimes it's very hard. My name is DIAMOND, and I hope all the hard stuff is behind me. I came to the shelter in bad shape, with a wound on my leg, ear mites, and much too skinny for being 2 years old. The staff here has gotten rid of the ear mites, healed my wound and given me as much food as I can handle! And the attention they give me is so sweet, I really can't get enough of it. If you've been waiting for a sweet girl to share your life, let's meet today and talk about the possibilities!

03/23/2025

Pipp's foster mom has been diligently documenting Pipp's progress. For a more in depth look at her journey, please head on to bit.ly/AdoptPipp, scroll down to the thumbnail that says, "Meet Pipp!" and go from there.
While Pipp isn't ready to go to her forever home yet, she is accepting visits and applications from serious adopters.

03/23/2025

Due to work being done around town, we will be without water for the majority of the day tomorrow. Because of this, we will not be open to the public. Thank you for understanding!

03/22/2025

Earlier this year, we posted about our longest-term adoptable cat, Pipp. After learning that she had been here for 10 months and had retreated further back into her shell, a foster took interest in helping her decompress and hopefully learn to trust people. Pipp went to her foster home on January 30, 2025.

Today, on Pipp's one-year anniversary with us, we wanted to share with you some promising updates from the past two months.

When Pipp first got to her foster home, she was as reclusive and shut down as ever. She was fearful and refused being touched, and her nights and days were completely flipped. She was active throughout the night, and would sleep the entire day. For the first few days, she would go to sleep around 7 AM and would not be seen again until around 9 PM.

Very slowly, this started to improve with access to sunshine and a scheduled routine set by her foster mom. Today, while she still certainly gets the zoomies in the middle of the night like most cats do, she has also become more active during the day.

Arguably the most important part of Pipp's routine has been clicker training. It has helped her gain some confidence and be more comfortable, albeit still not completely, in the presence of her foster mom. Through clicker training, Pipp's baseline has gone from terrified and shut down, to more alert and responsive. (See Pipp's first week of Clicker Training: bit.ly/pippclicker, and what she's working on now: bit.ly/pippsitpretty)

At the very beginning of this month, Pipp had a major breakthrough and showed enthusiastic interest in one of her foster mom's residents cats. His name is Caffrey, and is an HSWC alumni! Caffrey has been described as being relatively calm, especially for a male orange kitten. All in a span of ten minutes, her foster mom observed Pipp meow, purr, and make biscuits! (See the moment this happened: bit.ly/pippsbreakthrough)

Caffrey has been instrumental in Pipp's progress. She is noticeably more comfortable around foster mom when he's around. What has stood out the most about Pipp's friendship with Caffrey is how much she craves affection from another cat. The first thing she does when Caffrey comes in is to tilt and lower her head as an invitation to nuzzle. She repeats this gesture throughout each of Caffrey's visits. (See this heart-melting video of Pipp and Caffrey: bit.ly/pippandcaffrey)

Pipp has certainly made incredible progress, but there's more work to be done. Her foster mom still isn't able to pet her, which is something that her foster mom never forces on her.

While Pipp isn't ready to go to her forever home yet, she is accepting visits and applications from serious adopters. To minimize stress and avoid major setbacks, visits will have to be made at her foster home in Fort Wayne, IN. For serious inquiries, please contact the shelter so that we can get you in touch with Pipp's foster mom. Multiple visits are recommended prior to bringing Pipp home.

Based on what we've learned through one-on-one work with Pipp, her ideal family would:

- Be able to commit to continue with clicker training and counterconditioning.
- Be able to establish and stick to a scheduled routine.
- Not free-feed, which will make clicker training and counterconditioning much more effective.
- Have a lot of patience and be okay with not being able to pet Pipp right away.
- Understand that Pipp will likely experience some regression when she goes to her new home.
- Have a low-traffic, quiet room with controlled hiding spots where Pipp could decompress for the first several weeks.
- Have a quiet home in general without young children. Older teenagers should be okay.
- Most importantly - have at least one friendly and affectionate cat whom Pipp can be best friends with; and of course, lots and lots of Churu!

Pipp's foster mom has been diligently documenting Pipp's progress. For a more in depth look at her journey, please head on to bit.ly/AdoptPipp, scroll down to the thumbnail that says, "Meet Pipp!" and go from there.

03/21/2025

03/21/2025

For a more up to date list of our current adoptable pets, and to apply for adoption please visit our website at hswc.org. Our website is "live" meaning once pets are adopted they are removed, and when they are available, they go on instantly. All applications are approved in the order that the applications are received. Please contact us by phone if you have any additional questions, or if you need help with an application at 260-244-6664.

03/19/2025

Long term resident, Cappy

03/19/2025

With the weather starting to get nicer don't forget you can always do a Doggy Day Out with one of our great pups! Call or stop by the shelter for more information.

03/18/2025

Marty
Terrier mix
1 year
50 pounds
I was brought to the shelter as a stray.
I was not in the best shape when coming into the shelter. I was a skinny guy who was covered in fleas but now I'm a healthy weight and ready for a new beginning
I am very treat motivated and will happily work for them.
I have k9 friends here and love to play in play groups but I am not fond of kitties

03/18/2025

Long term resident, Buttons