The Michiana Humane Society cares for 1,000 or so animals each year. Some are surrendered by their owners who can no longer provide care. Some are strays, abandoned, and unwanted animals brought to us by the people who find them, or by Michigan City Animal Control.
Once here they are assured of our care until we find them homes, no matter how long it takes. We are proud to have a live release rate well beyond the 90% mark using Asilomar recordkeeping. We only euthanize animals so sick as to have little hope of surviving, or so aggressive that it is not safe for our staff to handle them (view our Euthanasia Policy here).
With an annual budget of around $1,000,000, our caring staff and volunteers provide shelter, food, basic medical care, and vaccinations. Since 2015, 100% of our dogs, cats and rabbits are spayed or neutered before being adopted. We are a 501(c)3 not-for-profit organization relying solely on private donations; we receive no tax funds to help with our work.
Our direct service area includes both LaPorte County in Indiana and Berrien County in Michigan, but we have placed pets beyond Chicago to the west, well into Michigan to the north, and to Ft Wayne and beyond. We also work with a number of rescue organizations and trainers to get our more challenging animals their second chances.
History
The Michiana Humane Society & SPCA has been a leader in animal welfare since 1920, when a group of local women in the Long Beach, Indiana area began to collect small amounts of money to care for stray animals. In 1948, the organization incorporated and evolved into the Michiana Humane Society & SPCA, Inc. Over the years volunteers kept the shelter going with private donations and hard work.
The shelter moved to its current location at 722 Indiana Highway 212 in Michigan City in 1997. The shelter was designed to provide plenty of space for our residents, with separate facilities for dogs, cats, and other small animals. A classroom space is used for educational offerings and group activities, and Alynne’s Animal Aid Center, our veterinary suite, provides medical care for the shelter’s animals. Our outside space includes a kennel for dog play adjacent to the building, the three-part Bark Park for meeting dogs, and a three-acre fenced dog park used by the shelter to walk and exercise dogs, and available to the community by membership.
We have a full- and part-time staff of 17 people working to care for the animals, manage the facility, and raise funds for our operations. Over 20 volunteers regularly visit the shelter to provide enrichment interaction. The shelter is open 7 days a week to help people meet their new family members, and to give our animals their best chance at a second chance.
(219) 872-4499
722 Indiana Highway 212, Michigan City