Humane Society

It's one of the most disturbing cases of animal abuse seen in South Bend. The St. Joseph County Humane Society rescued a dog near Locust and Jackson roads on Tuesday afternoon. The poodle mix was on the verge of death and eventually had to be put down. This case is so serious the Humane Society is offering a reward to anyone who comes forward with information on the person that abused this dog. If you know anything relating to this dog, or if you saw anyone dropping off a dog in the Locust-Jackson area of South Bend on Tuesday, the Humane Society is offering a $500 reward for information leading to the arrest of the person who abused this dog. Call the humane society at 574-255-4726 . This is only the second time a reward has been on the table - that shows you just how much they want justice for this puppy.

MISHAWAKA — Sometimes, the best gifts are hidden in plain sight. For the Humane Society of St. Joseph County, that gift comes in the form of a 6,000-square-foot building, located right behind its current Grape Road structure. That building, owned by PNC Bank, recently was donated to the Humane Society, said its director Carol Ecker. "It’s really nice to have it," Ecker said. "It’s a great gift; space is something we really need. " Ecker said the metal-sided building has an estimated value of $250,000 and was built by Valley American Bank, which previously owned the bank and commercial complex just south of the shelter.

There's an update on a cat the Humane Society of Elkhart County says was tossed off an overpass and spent two days stuck on a sign before being rescued. The Humane Society posted the following on their   Facebook page   Thursday about the cat, which they named "Freeway": "The wound on Freeway's leg is slowly healing and required veterinary attention. So, those interested in adopting will have to wait a bit more while he recuperates. Thanks for your interest!"

According to the Humane Society of St. Joseph County, 12-year-old Buddy was found in a ditch with injuries that likely came from being used as bait in organized pit bull fights. Now he needs someone to give him a loving home. Buddy would do better in a home that has no children or other pets, according to the Humane Society. If you want to adopt this WSBT Pet of the Week, call the Humane Society at (574) 255-4726. Because of his age, the adoption fee will be reduced.

The Humane Society of Elkhart County posted a photo of a very lucky cat on their Facebook page Friday. “Amazingly, this cat was rescued by our Humane Officer and the Elkhart City street department. Someone tried to throw this guy over the overpass onto Main St. He luckily landed on part of the overpass signage.” “We've named him Freeway, and he is a lover!” they went on to post. The Humane Society says the cat was up there for two days. It  was fine other than a small scrape on its leg. It will be put up for adoption after standard vaccinations.

It's a disturbing trend in Elkhart County; the Humane Society says it's seen several cases recently of cats dying, not all of them intentionally killed, but accidentally after being sealed in a container. Of the four cases in just three weeks, the Humane Society has dealt with eight dead cats and kittens and has only been able to save one kitten. His name is Hefty, and he was found in a cardboard box in the dump with his dead sibling. "Folks were getting ready to do the bulldozing and saw a kitten get out of the box. They went to check the box and the litter mate of that kitten had already expired," says Anne Reel, Elkhart County Humane Society executive director.

An Elkhart County teen will spend time helping animals after being accused of brutally killing one. The14-year-old was charged with cruelty to an animal. He admitted to hitting and killing a Canada Goose at High Dive Park in Elkhart in May. He claimed he was defending himself. A witness testified he saw the boy hit the goose more than a dozen times with a stick, even as the goose tried to get away. The teen will have to volunteer at the Humane Society as his punishment.

Animal hoarding is defined as having more animals than you can handle. Many hoarders don't have the money or means to take care of each animal. "They're good people, they're well meaning but they usually have some type of dementia or mental disability,” Ecker said. So what happens to these animal hoarders? Adult protective services will do frequent checkups on them. The humane society doesn't take away all the pets away from the homeowner, unless it's absolutely necessary.

SOUTH BEND - The Humane Society says the reward for information leading to the arrest of the person who abused a dog and left it to die on a South Bend street is up to $2,875. The Humane Society originally offered $500, but that has grown because of donations to the reward fund from the public. So far there have been no real leads, so read the original story below and if you have any information about this crime, call (574) 255-4726.   ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Original story: It's one of the most disturbing cases of animal abuse seen in South Bend.

MISHAWAKA - Local humane society officials are urging people to be aware of the dangers that can come with owning pit bulls after two pit bull terriers reportedly mauled a beagle and injured a woman during an attack on Monday afternoon. The beagle has since died, while the pit bulls will likely be put down this week, officials said. "These dogs can show no signs of aggressive behavior, and something kind of sets them off," said Jordan McGuire, animal control officer with the Humane Society of St. Joseph County.

There's an update on a cat the Humane Society of Elkhart County says was tossed off an overpass and spent two days stuck on a sign before being rescued. The Humane Society posted the following on their   Facebook page   Thursday about the cat, which they named "Freeway": "The wound on Freeway's leg is slowly healing and required veterinary attention. So, those interested in adopting will have to wait a bit more while he recuperates. Thanks for your interest!"

The Humane Society of Elkhart County posted a photo of a very lucky cat on their Facebook page Friday. “Amazingly, this cat was rescued by our Humane Officer and the Elkhart City street department. Someone tried to throw this guy over the overpass onto Main St. He luckily landed on part of the overpass signage.” “We've named him Freeway, and he is a lover!” they went on to post. The Humane Society says the cat was up there for two days. It  was fine other than a small scrape on its leg. It will be put up for adoption after standard vaccinations.

Here's a story we think you're just going to love... A young girl with a huge heart and a major soft spot for more than 50 dogs waiting for homes. You could easily call sixth-grader Kam Gottlieb a dog lover. "They're just so cuddly and playful. I don't know, there's something, I've always had a place for them in my heart," said Gottlieb. Kam vacations with her family in southwest Michigan every summer. Over the years, the Gottliebs have donated toys and food to the humane society there.

There are two grade schools within three blocks of my house and I drive by one or both nearly every day. Last Friday I drove by one of those schools late in the morning, came home, turned on the computer and found the first reports of the massacre in Newtown. It took a few minutes for me to make the connection between what I just read and what I just saw on my drive. The kids at the school I passed by, the school my grandson attends, were playing outside protected only by a high chainlink fence and only a few yards from one of the busiest roads in South Bend.

It's a disturbing trend in Elkhart County; the Humane Society says it's seen several cases recently of cats dying, not all of them intentionally killed, but accidentally after being sealed in a container. Of the four cases in just three weeks, the Humane Society has dealt with eight dead cats and kittens and has only been able to save one kitten. His name is Hefty, and he was found in a cardboard box in the dump with his dead sibling. "Folks were getting ready to do the bulldozing and saw a kitten get out of the box. They went to check the box and the litter mate of that kitten had already expired," says Anne Reel, Elkhart County Humane Society executive director.

He has soulful brown eyes, unwavering confidence and he's the reason Kelly Holland keeps going … literally. “He sleeps beside my bed, on my side of the bed,” Holland said.  “When I get up, he gets up. When I go somewhere he goes with me. And he's my stabilizer.  He keeps me from falling, he keeps me standing up, walking straight.” “He” is Bear - a 90-pound chocolate Labrador Retriever, trained to be Holland's...

According to the Humane Society of St. Joseph County, 12-year-old Buddy was found in a ditch with injuries that likely came from being used as bait in organized pit bull fights. Now he needs someone to give him a loving home. Buddy would do better in a home that has no children or other pets, according to the Humane Society. If you want to adopt this WSBT Pet of the Week, call the Humane Society at (574) 255-4726. Because of his age, the adoption fee will be reduced.

DETROIT (AP) - An abandoned beagle is receiving medical attention after being found in a urine-soaked trash bag on Detroit's east side. The Michigan Humane Society says Thursday that the 2-year-old dog may have been inside the bag for days and possibly suffered some type of trauma before she was found Wednesday by a person who works in the area. The dog appeared to be in pain when picked up by the Humane Society. It was examined by veterinarians and given painkillers.

Animal hoarding is defined as having more animals than you can handle. Many hoarders don't have the money or means to take care of each animal. "They're good people, they're well meaning but they usually have some type of dementia or mental disability,” Ecker said. So what happens to these animal hoarders? Adult protective services will do frequent checkups on them. The humane society doesn't take away all the pets away from the homeowner, unless it's absolutely necessary.

SOUTH BEND - The Humane Society says the reward for information leading to the arrest of the person who abused a dog and left it to die on a South Bend street is up to $2,875. The Humane Society originally offered $500, but that has grown because of donations to the reward fund from the public. So far there have been no real leads, so read the original story below and if you have any information about this crime, call (574) 255-4726.   ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Original story: It's one of the most disturbing cases of animal abuse seen in South Bend.