​507 N Oak Street

Loogootee IN 47553

812-295-5900

mchs47553@gmail.com

​​​​​Animal Shelter

ADOPTION/SHELTER FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Martin County

Humane Society

Q: Where can I see the dogs and cats you have available for adoption?

A: Click the "Adoptable Dogs & Cats" link at the top of the page. You can also see photos of the animals by visiting Petfinder.com or adoptapet.com. If you see an animal listed as "adoptable" on any of the sites we use, then we are still taking applications. We mark animals adopted as soon as it's final. On occasion an adoption is pending or a meet and greet is scheduled. You can still fill out an application however in case the adoption doesn't end up going through.

Q: I'm interested in one of your adoptable dogs or cats, now what do I do?

A: Your first step is to submit an application online. The adoption application link is at the top of this page. Once we look over your application, we will contact you and you can come to the shelter. We will introduce you to the dog or cat you are interested in, give you time to play, answer any questions you may have, and then you (and us) can decide whether he or she is the new family member for you! You simply pay the adoption fee and take your new furry family member home! We do strive to make the best matches possible with our adoptables and our adopters. If we feel the animal you are interested in is not a good fit for your family, we will tell you.

Q: What kind of vet care will the dog or cat I adopt require?

A: All dogs and cats that come into the shelter are immediately vaccinated, microchipped, de-wormed, and de-fleaed. Dogs are immediately tested for heartworms, Lyme disease, e.canis and anaplasmosis. Our dogs and cats are spay/neutered as soon as we have an opening in our spay/neuter clinic. Occasionally a dog or cat is adopted before they can be spayed/neutered, due to being too young to be altered. In those situations, the adopter either brings the dog or cat back to us for spay/neuter at our clinic, take the animal to Pets Alive in Bloomington or Indy Humane in Indianapolis and we pay or, if they prefer to get the spay/neuter done at their own vet, at their own expense, providing proof to us once the surgery has been done. New Indiana law that went into effect July 1, 2021 requires all dogs and cats from shelters/rescues be spayed/neutered prior to adoption. A deposit from the adopter is required for any animal too young to be fixed. The $75 is built in to our kitten fees however puppies will require a $75 deposit at the time of adoption.

Any animal that has come in ill will be vet treated prior to adoption. The only thing you may have to do is continue with medication that is prescribed. We do our absolute best to keep our animals healthy. Having that many animals in an enclosed environment with people coming and going all the time, our animals (especially cats), may develop a cold. Then when taken into a new home, they can become a little stressed, which may aggravate their immune system. We want to send home healthy animals and will do whatever we can to ensure that happens! We love our animals like they are our own! If you adopt an animal from our shelter and they seem to be sick, contact us right away through email or on our facebook page - for quickest response. Our vet in Loogootee does what he can for us, at minimal cost. We have had adopters in the past rush an animal to an emergency clinic and tell us we owe them thousands and thousands of dollars. Our humane society does not have that kind of money. We operate with very little money each year. It is critical that if you adopt an animal that gets sick within a few days of taking it home, that you contact US right away. 

Q: What are your adoption fees? Do you charge more for certain breeds of dogs and cats?

A: Our adoption fees are: puppies under 6 months and dogs under 25 pounds: $150 (unaltered due to size require an additional $75 deposit to be returned after puppy is fixed); dogs over 6 months or over 25 pounds $100; cats who are spayed/neutered are $45 and kittens too young to be fixed are $75. The fee includes all vet care, vaccinations, heartworm testing (dogs over 7 months), Lyme disease and e.canis testing for dogs and spay/neuter. It also includes microchipping for dogs.

Q: Can I try out a dog or cat before I adopt?

A: While we don't always like to put dogs and cats through stressful situations, we do allow for trial periods with our dogs and cats. But we do ask that you are serious about adopting the animal before taking it home for a trial period. Dogs and cats that come into the shelter go through enough trauma dealing with the environment so we don't want them to get their hopes up time and time again, only to be returned. But we do want each adoption to last, therefore we want to make sure you and your dog or cat are the perfect fit for each other!

Q: Are your dogs housetrained?

A: Most of the dogs we have in the shelter are NOT housetrained. We have found that most dogs prefer to do their business outside, as a natural instinct. And regardless of whether any dog is housetrained when they come in, they will have to adjust to any new living situation, at the shelter or in your home. We would never tell you that a dog you adopt from us will not have accidents in your house. Our animals get on a schedule at the shelter and typically do very well for us.

Q: I have an animal that I can no longer care for. Can you take it?

A: Contact the shelter at 812-295-5900 or email info@humanesocietyofmartincounty.org to find out where we stand on our waiting lists for dogs and cats. Oftentimes we have more animals coming in than going out so you may have to wait. Please DO NOT drop off the animal at the shelter without speaking to a board member first! The shelter volunteers have to be prepared to handle incoming animals by prepping cages, getting paperwork together and preparing needed shots.

Q: A stray dog/cat showed up at my house. I can't keep it. Will you take it?

A: First of all, anytime a "stray" shows up at your house, it should be reported to us immediately. Please do not assume that because you don't know the dog/cat or the owners or haven't seen it before, that it has been "dumped". Someone is probably looking for their pet! We get calls almost daily regarding missing animals. Contact the shelter at info@humanesocietyofmartincounty.org or message us on facebook with a description of the dog/cat, where you live, and a photo of the animal if possible. We will get it posted right away. Then, you can bring the animal to the shelter during our next open day, as long as a cage/kennel is available to house it. Please DO NOT drop off an animal without speaking to a humane society board member first!

Q: I need to get my dog/cat fixed. Can you help with that?

A: We now have a spay/neuter clinic on site at the shelter with Dr. Alexandra Loughmiller as our practice vet. You can request an appointment at the top of the page. We are currently only doing spay/neuter surgeries on Wednesdays. Kittens must be at least 4 pounds to be fixed and puppies need to be at least 4 months old. 

Q: I need to report animal neglect/abuse/abandonment, who do I call?

A: Report all neglect/abuse/abandonment complaints to the Martin County Sheriff's Department at 812-247-3726. Animal Control will be contacted. The humane society volunteers cannot respond to these complaints and ALL complaints must be called into the sheriff's department, not the animal shelter and NOT the animal shelter volunteers. Animal control never tells a pet owner who complained about them. That remains confidential.

Still have questions? Visit our Contact Us page to send us a message.