Lillian is very kind! She loves animals and wanted to do something kind for the animals at HSHV. Lillian asked for donations in her neighborhood and collected dog food, treats, and cat food! Thank you so much, Lillian! We are so grateful for your kindness and generosity, and we know the animals are too!
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Lucy is a typical sassy and smart husky! Understandably, she was a bit timid at first as her and her brothers came to HSHV after their owner was in a tragic accident. At first it was difficult to differentiate what was fear versus stubbornness, having to initially carry her down/up stairs (now she FLIES down them). She spends her days on long walks, playing with other dogs, annoying her cat siblings, taking long naps, solving puzzles for treats, and defiantly staying outside when it’s time to come in. She has yet to figure out how to escape the yard, but
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After losing Duke, our 7-year old Pitbull, unexpectedly to cancer, we were too sad to talk about any other dogs for a while. One day, my husband could not take it anymore and we wandered into the HSHV. That is when we saw Cayenne. She looked us nervously with her side eyes. We were told she has anxiety and is on her medication. We were concerned at first, since Duke had a lot of behavioral issues. She, however, has been a very happy dog once she got used to us and her new home. She loves to go for a
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Yes, I’m talking about Uffda (formerly Puma). Later this month it will be 13 years since this one from HSHV moved in with me and in some ways it still feels as if it all happened just 13 days ago. He and I both knew we were meant for each other when we met, something that gets reaffirmed every single day. He was incredibly quick to make himself at home, sleeping on my bed the first night and every night since then. So here he is, at least 14 years old and possibly as old as 16 years old, still
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Our special needs dog Grace enjoyed visiting a puppy in the neighborhood so our family decided that Grace would love to have a sibling puppy in our home. We went to HSHV when they had a lot of puppies from the Love Train but decided that an older “puppy” would probably be a better fit so we visited the other dogs and discovered “Otto” (now Izaak meaning “laughter” because he always made us laugh), an 11 month old dog found underweight and in need of a loving home. Izaak was about the same size as Grace (around 50 pounds) when
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In April ’22 I sadly lost my almost 21 year old cat, Shaney. I had him since I was a teenager and was at a loss. I drove out to HSHV the next day, just to see if I would connect with anyone. I immediately found a perfect pair of little black kittens that I named Dwight K Snoot and Jim Halpurrt (formerly Maui and Mewtoo). They had been brought all the way from Oklahoma because of overcrowding in shelters over there. I knew these little kittens were just what I needed to cheer me up. They have brought me
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When I first saw Ducky (Bibimbap), I was taking one of the adults I caregive for with disabilities. We instantly fell in love with her when we saw her. I knew then she needed to heal in a home with a family. When we saw her she had a plethora of issues – healing from a very recent leg amputation and being spayed, an ear infection and a nasty skin infection. I brought her home a week after her procedures and she began to heal and get stronger. Flash forward to today, she runs miles with me, plays for hours
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In March, I lost my best furiend, Heisman unexpectedly to cancer. He was only 7 years old, he was my “first” dog as an adult, and I couldn’t have asked for a better pupper. Heisman’s loss really shook me, and I struggled moving forward. I knew that we would adopt our next pup from the Love Train, and after a particularly difficult week coming home from vacation (to an empty house), a group arrived to HSHV from the Love Train. Without hesitation, we made our way to HSHV to find our new furbaby. I had an idea of who I
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It can be overwhelming when you come to the shelter looking for a cat or kitten to adopt. You may wonder what kind of feline will work best for your home, and how to tell which cat might fit that bill. Following a few general rules can help make that decision for you! Genetics, history, and socialization all play a part in who a kitten or cat is, or who they will be when they grow up. All cats have had different experiences throughout their lives that help shape who they are, so be prepared to offer lots of great
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We all know how important enrichment is for our animals. Enrichment gives them the opportunity to engage in natural behaviors and provides them with vital mental and physical stimulation. Sniffing, chewing, shredding, and licking are all ways to relieve stress. Additionally, when a dog is experiencing heightened arousal from activities like a brisk walk or playing in the yard, engaging in enrichment afterwards is a great way to bring their chemicals like cortisol and adrenaline back down to a baseline level. Getting creative with enrichment is fun and we can even step it up by offering something like multi-layer shredding
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