5 ways to help South Bend area pet shelters for the holidays

SOUTH BEND – Local animal shelters are in need this holiday season.

For those who can’t adopt, the Humane Society of St. Joseph County, Pet Refuge and the South Bend Animal Resource Center look to volunteers and donations to keep the shelters running. 

Here are four ways you can help, but, first, a word on adoption.

Adopt

“Everyone is overburdened right now,” Janet Graham, executive director of Pet Refuge, told The Tribune on Tuesday, Dec. 3. Pet Refuge is currently full and has a waiting list for people who want to drop off animals with people calling each day to be put on the list, she said.

Through the adoption process, shelters work to match the right animals into the right home. This helps make room for other animals who may need a place at the shelter.

Through the South Bend Animal Resource Center's Empty the Shelters event with Bissell Pet Foundation, dog adoption costs are $25 until Dec. 17, adoptions from the Humane Society of St. Joseph County are free for the remainder of 2024 and adoption fees at Pet Refuge can be found on their website.

Foster

The South Bend Animal Resource Center, Pet Refuge and the Humane Society of St. Joseph County offer a fostering program — whether short or long term — until a permanent home is found. The Humane Society provides the pet foster parents with veterinary care, food and leashes.

“Fostering is a great way to get your toes wet,” Genny Brown, executive director of the Humane Society of St. Joseph County, said.

People looking to adopt can use the foster program as a trial period to see if the pet works well in their home and routine, she said, calling the program “successful” because it takes the weight off people who think when they adopt they can’t change their minds. 

Though Brown said people who adopt can bring their pet back to the shelter, the foster-to-adopt program eases people’s worries, she said. 

Volunteer

“We always need volunteers to come in and help with the animals,” Graham said. Pet Refuge is volunteer based. Even on holidays, volunteers come to the shelters twice a day, every day, to clean, care for the animals and help with laundry, she said. Volunteers can also assist with fundraisers, interact with cats in the community cat rooms, post to social media, set up during events and help with office work.

The South Bend Animal Resource Center is also looking for volunteers to help clean out pet kennels in the morning, Linsey Cuellar, shelter manager at the South Bend Animal Resource Center, said.

Food donations

“We rely heavily on donations to feed the animals, because our food budget is so low,” Cuellar said about the city-owned shelter. 

South Bend Animal Resource Center, Pet Refuge and the Humane Society of St. Joseph County accept food donations and offer pet food assistance to community members if there’s food available. In September, Pet Refuge provided food for over 300 cats and dogs in the community, Graham said. 

“(By) giving out that food to community members, we’re keeping those animals in their houses, where they belong,” she said. 

Money donations

Pet Refuge mother/daughter duo Novel and Mandi are two Great Danes in need of medical care. According to Pet Refuge’s website, the shelter aims to raise $4,400 for their surgeries.

“They were brought into the world and never given proper medication or care,” Graham said. “So, we’re trying to get them healthy so they can be adopted out.”

Through Pet Refuge’s holiday fundraiser, Trees of Life, people can give monetary donations from $5 to $20 by their purchases. 

Where to adopt locally

• South Bend Animal Resource Center, 521 Eclipse Place, South Bend. Phone: 574-235-9303. Website: sbacc.petfinder.org. 

• Homeward Bound Animal Welfare Group, Website: www.homewardboundawg.com. Email: homewardboundawg@aol.com.

• Elkhart Humane Society, 54687 County Road 19, Bristol. Phone: 574-475-4732. Website: elkharthumanesociety.org.

• PetsConnect Inc., P.O. Box 8104, South Bend, IN 46660-8140. Phone 574-282-1225. Website: www.petsconnect.org. 

• Pet Refuge Inc., 4626 Burnett Drive, South Bend. Phone: 574-231-1122. Website: www.petrefuge.com.

• Humane Society of St. Joseph County, 2506 Grape Road, Mishawaka. Phone: 574-255-4726. Website: www.humanesocietystjc.org.

• Second Chance Small Dog Rescue, Elkhart. Phone: 574-524-6040. Websites: secondchancesmalldogs.org and www.petfinder.com. 

• Heartland Small Animal Rescue, P.O. Box 6033, South Bend, IN 46660. Phone: 574-400-5633. Website: www.heartlandsmallanimalrescue.org.

Email Tribune staff writer Camille Sarabia at csarabia@gannett.com.