Looking for a pet this holiday season? Here's 7 things South Bend shelters say to consider
Dec. 10, 2024
SOUTH BEND — Looking to welcome a new furry friend into the family in time for the holidays? A new or adopted animal can be a popular choice for a gift, but it entails a major and long-term commitment.
Here’s a few things South Bend area shelters ask adopters to consider first:
Finding the right dog for your lifestyle
Depending on the behavior and temperament, energy levels or medical conditions, not every dog will work for every family, but adoption counselors at local shelters work to find the right match.
“If you are very active, if you want to go on hikes, you walk everyday and those sorts of things, you might want an active dog to go along with you, to go on these adventures,” Genny Brown, executive director of the Humane Society of St. Joseph County, said. “However, if you are more of a homebody and you just like to cuddle up with a book and hang out at home and watch some TV, then maybe an older pet is a better option for you who doesn’t need as much exercise … or a cat.”
Before adopting, the South Bend Animal Resource Center, Pet Refuge and the Humane Society of St. Joseph County all have an application process that includes discussing what potential adopters are seeking and what adoption coordinators believe will work best for their lifestyle and needs.
“If you live in an apartment, does the apartment have breed restrictions?” Lindsey Cuellar, shelter manager at the South Bend Animal Resource Center, said. “If they don’t, it still might not be a good idea to let you adopt a Husky or a hound — a high energy dog.”
The South Bend Animal Resource Center conducts behavior tests on its animals. If adopting an older pet, owners could be bringing home an animal with already established behaviors and training.
“We have folks that work from home and are able to give a lot of attention to these animals that need that extra attention,” Brown said. “Or, they’re puppies, so they’re needing that constant routine and training.”
The Humane Society of St. Joseph County asks potential adopters, “What are you looking for in a pet?” Brown said. A family’s schedule and whether they have frequent visitors is taken into consideration.
“You’re gonna need a dog or a cat that is OK with all that activity,” Brown said. “That might not necessarily be a particular breed of dog, but it’s gonna be what kind of attitude and personality those dogs have.”
She added that you don’t want to get a pet based on how it looks.
“Great animals find their way here to the shelter all the time,” she said. “We try to learn as much about the animals that are coming into our shelter to help place them in their next best home.”
More: Can't adopt? Here's 4 other ways to help South Bend area pet shelters this holiday season
Pet Refuge Inc. said it checks the previous vet history of animals a potential adopter has. Prospective adopters are welcome to come into the community cat room to find the right cat that matches their personality, Janet Graham, executive director of Pet Refuge, said.
“We want the animals to go into a good home and stay and be able to stay in that home,” she said.
Medical and additional costs
Local shelters said they’re upfront with any additional vet care a pet may need after adoption. The Humane Society sometimes gets dogs diagnosed with Lyme Disease. When adopting these dogs, people should consider the cost of treatment, Brown said.
“The initial cost of adopting a pet or getting a pet elsewhere is just the tip of the iceberg,” she said. “You have to make sure that you have the funds to provide annual treatment for the animal for any kinds of medical emergencies or urgent care that might come up, but then just the daily buying food for your pet.”
Pet Refuge has animals with special needs who might require special food or medication, Graham said.
“There’s a lot of amazing people that gravitate towards those types of pets and adopt them,” she said.
Wellness exams with a veterinarian are recommended by local shelters shortly after adoption. Pets also require an annual exam and updated vaccinations. Numerous pet insurance policies are available for you to explore costs and benefits. Some employers offer pet insurance as part of their benefits package.
Pet licenses required
According to a city ordinance, all cats and dogs over 6 months old must be licensed. Pets that are spayed or neutered have a lower cost — a $15 annual fee for one pet or $25 annual fee or households with two to four pets. Animals that are not spayed or neutered cost $50 for a single pet license or $300 for homes with two to three pets. Pet owners can purchase a pet license through the South Bend Animal Resource Center at 521 Eclipse Place.
“We want to help with tracking ownership,” Cuellar said. “Not everybody microchips their pet, but if we have an animal license to somebody, we are able to identify ownership if that animal ever were to be lost or stolen.”
A rabies certification is required for the license, per Indiana law. This allows the Animal Resource Center to make sure every pet is up-to-date on their rabies vaccine when owners renew their annual license, Cuellar said.
“That’s a dangerous disease, both with animals and humans as well,” she said.
Pet licenses outside of South Bend can be purchased through the Humane Society of St. Joseph County or at most veterinary offices in St. Joseph County, the Humane Society says on its website. Prices vary, ranging from $10 to $50, based on if the pet is spayed/neutered, has a microchip and how long the pet’s rabies certification is for. According to the Humane Society’s website, Mishawaka has a three-pet limit depending on lot size, and the unincorporated areas of St. Joseph County don't have a pet limit, but all dogs and cats must be licensed. Other ordinances related to pets can be found on the Humane Society's website.
Include the gift recipient in the process
It’s important that the pet recipient be prepared as well, Cuellar said. Though good natured, Cuellar said, she suggested the giver start the process by asking questions and that the recipient be part of meeting the animals during the selection process.
“There’s lots of times where people will be gifted puppies or they’ll be given a dog that maybe they’re not prepared to handle, it doesn’t suit their lifestyle — they want a couch potato and they’ve been given a dog that needs to run three miles every day,” she said.
Giving a pet should not be a surprise, Brown said, and the giver should make sure the person caring for the pet is prepared to take on the responsibility.
“Pets are living creatures, and they’re gonna be a responsibility — especially if you get them at a young age — for 10, 15, even 20 years. And that’s a lot of responsibility to be putting on someone who really isn’t expecting it,” she said.
Adoption costs
Humane Society of St. Joseph County: Adoptions are free for the remainder of 2024 through a partnership with Afdent Patient Friendly Dentistry, which will cover the costs. All adopters from the Humane Society receive one month free of telemedicine through their partner, Dutch. They’ll have immediate access to virtual veterinary care, Brown said.
South Bend Animal Resource Center: Through the Bissell Empty the Shelters event, which takes place four times a year, dogs can be adopted for $25 — formerly costing $85 — until Dec. 17. Cats are not discounted due to already having a $35 adoption cost, Cuellar said.
Pet Refuge Inc: Adoption fees vary according to age.
Puppies: $300
Dogs (ages 1 to 6): $200
Senior dogs (ages 7+): $75
Kittens: $100
Cats (ages 1 to 6): $75
Senior Cats (ages 7+): $50
Special needs cats: $50
Animals from South Bend Animal Resource Center, Pet Refuge and the Humane Society of St. Joseph County have up-to-date vaccinations for the pet’s age, microchips, and are spayed or neutered.
Vaccinations for adopted animals include rabies, Bordetella, distemper, flea and tick medication. and a vaccine for the Feline Flu for cats. Cats are also tested for feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) and feline leukemia virus (FeLV). All dogs are tested for heartworms and given heartworm medication.
“We want to make sure we’re setting up our adopters for success, and our animals, too,” Brown said.
Adoption hours
Humane Society of St. Joseph County: walk-in visitors are welcome from 2 to 4:30 p.m. Mondays to Saturdays. Appointments are still strongly encouraged for those interested in adopting and adopters are encouraged to fill out an online application 48 hours before visiting. • Humane Society of St. Joseph County, 2506 Grape Road, Mishawaka. Phone: 574-255-4726. Website: www.humanesocietystjc.org.
South Bend Animal Resource Center: adoptions can be made by appointment after submitting an online application. South Bend Animal Resource Center, 521 Eclipse Place, South Bend. Phone: 574-235-9303. Website: sbacc.petfinder.org.
Pet Refuge: adoptions take place 6 to 8 p.m. every Thursday and from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. every Saturday. An online application can be found on their website. • Pet Refuge Inc., 4626 Burnett Drive, South Bend. Phone: 574-231-1122. Website: www.petrefuge.com.
Additional adoption centers:
• 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.
• 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.