Here’s your chance to snuggle a puppy

SULLIVAN COUNTY, Ind. (WTWO/WAWV) —The Humane Society of Sullivan County is giving residents a chance to be a warrior for a shelter animal.

“Right now, we have 40 kennels and 62 dogs,” Julie Tow, President of the Sullivan County Humane Society, said. “So, if we can get one dog out for a weekend, that’s great for everybody.”

To do that, the shelter has brought back two successful programs: Puppy Play Time and Weekend Warrior.

The “Weekend Warrior” program allows residents to care for an animal over the weekend. Tow said the warrior could pick the animal up on Friday or Saturday and return the animal on Monday or Tuesday.

“Last year, we saw a lot of success with the program,” she said. “We had maybe 10 or 12 weekend warriors, and only two of those did not get adopted.”

Shelter leaders said becoming a warrior volunteer is easy. You fill out an application and then pick out a dog.

“And for volunteers who want to do something, it doesn’t cost any money because we give you food, leashes, collars, everything you need,” Tow said. “It gives you the opportunity to give a shelter pet a little bit of love.”

It’s a chance to open your heart to a pup and determine whether adoption is right for you.

“It is a good trial for the family that is thinking about adopting a dog, and they’re not really sure how it will fit in their life,” Tow said, adding that it also helps teach children about the responsibility of having a pet.

If bringing a dog home for a few days isn’t an option, how about participating in “Puppy Play Time?”

The shelter offers the opportunity to interact with puppies on Tuesdays and Thursdays from noon until 2:00 p.m. If you plan on attending, the humane society suggests calling ahead, as space is limited.

“You just come in, and the manager sets you up, and you just play with puppies,” Tow said. “I think it’s important to offer programs like this because it gets the animals out of the shelter, even for a little bit of time. And also gets them socialization that they need and the social with other people besides the ones in the shelter,” she added.

If you’re interested in adoption, the Humane Society of Sullivan County currently has 10 dogs available with sponsored adoption fees. Sponsored adoption fees mean someone has paid the adoption fees for an animal in hopes of helping it find its “Fur-ever” home.

To learn more about adopting a dog or participating in either of the programs, contact the Humane Society of Sullivan County at 812-268-4201 or find them on Facebook.

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