Since 1951, Little Traverse Bay Humane Society has been dedicated to providing animals with warm shelter, grooming, veterinary services, basic care, and, of course, loving tenderness to help them become their best adoptable selves.
Little Traverse Bay Humane Society is a no-kill shelter. Fueled exclusively by donations, their mission is to tackle overpopulation through sterilization programs and educating the community on the responsibility of having a four-legged furry family member.
To date, they have spayed or neutered more than 10,000 animals and placed more than 5,000 pets in their forever homes.
In addition to adoption services, Little Traverse Bay Humane Society's performs the following services:
They also run several amazing programs to help at-risk animals and serve the Little Traverse Bay community:
Stop in today and support this amazing organization!
Animals at Little Traverse Bay Humane Society aren't put up for adoption until either the Executive Director or Adoption Committee determines they're fit to go home with a lucky family. They evaluate each case to decide whether the animal is ready to go jump in the back of your car or if it needs a little extra time being nursed, trained, or professionally cared for.
Once an animal is clear for adoption, it will appear in their online catalog.
The Committee will also evaluate you and your home during the application process. The process takes 48-72 hours while they check your records at the Animal Control Office or courts and the space requirements for each pet.
All adopters must be 18 years of age or older, and your other pets must be spayed or neutered and have current vaccines.
While your application is being reviewed and your prospective pet evaluated, the animal is placed on hold for you. Why so much oversight? They want to make sure every pet-adopter match to ensure a happy pairing for both pawrties.
Little Traverse Bay Humane Society's adoption applications are located here.
Adoption fees at Little Traverse Bay Humane Society are as follows:
Your dog adoption feed includes spay or neuter surgery, vaccinations for rabies and distemper, and basic obedience lessons and grooming while in the shelter's care.
Your cat adoption fee includes spay or neuter surgery, vaccinations for rabies and distemper, testing for feline leukemia, and grooming while in the shelter's care.
Our writing team is hard at work researching this shelter's adoption process and fees, so this page will be updated soon!
In the meantime, here's some nice-to-know info that applies to nearly every animal shelter, humane society, and rescue.
Because shelter dogs are full of love!
Is it because they know you saved them and love you harder for it?
I can't say for certain, but yes.
Jokes aside, there are three things all shelter dogs need to thrive in their new home:
Older shelter dogs, generally 1+ years old, may have experienced a lot of trauma, which often results in one of 8 common behavioral issues:
These issues are correctable! Your dog isn't broken, they're just damaged. You can fix them with enough love, patience, and a good training plan.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, finding good dog trainers can be hard. Like everything else, dog training is moving only. but there are great online dog trainers that are proven to work and can help get your new pup on the right path.
You can learn a lot about an animal welfare organization just by looking at their name.
Adoption processes vary drastically from organization to organization, but here are some general tips that apply in most instances. Note that we'll use the term "shelters" here for simplicity but it includes all types of rescue organizations.
If you have any questions about adopting an animal (what you'll need, what to expect, etc.) feel free to contact the PetLists team!
If you're looking to adopt a new dog, our Dog Adoption Guide is a must-read. It has everything you need to know about bringing a shelter dog home:
And we're adding new guides all the time.
