Thanks to successful intake prevention programs and community support for adoption, along with grants and wonderful donors, HSHV is able to transport animals — often puppies! — from struggling rescues and shelters with high euthanasia rates to HSHV via the Love Train.

Get Puppies in your Inbox! Join the email list for up-to-date Love Train info!

UPCOMING TRANSPORTS

Expected dates to see Love Train animals are:

Friday, January 17, 2025

Friday, January 31, 2025

Friday, February 14

Friday, February 28

Thank you for considering adopting and saving a life! If you’re interested in adopting, please get on our email list! We’ll email pictures of the puppies on Thursday afternoons of Love Train weeks, so that you can see who’ll be available on Love Train Fridays.

Adoptions on Love Train Fridays happen 11 a.m. – 7 p.m. Come see and be prepared to adopt the same day! 🙂  We’d suggest you complete an adoption application (profile, really) online beforehand. Hope to see you on a Love Train Friday!

Often, puppies are on the Love Train! And sometimes young adult dogs and even cats. We try to post a selection of the animals who will be onboard on our Facebook page and you can get email notifications with even more photos, too.  Fortunately, most of the animals are adopted very quickly so sometimes they’re only on our website for a minute!

When our animals go home, they’ve received an initial health check and have been spayed/neutered, microchipped, current on vaccinations (as appropriate to their age) and have received their initial dewormer — and kittens and cats have been Feline Leukemia tested, and dogs have been heartworm tested and temperament tested. Compare us to a pet store or a breeder; it’s a good deal to adopt from HSHV!

Adoption fees not only cover the above services, but also offset the cost of caring for the animals prior to being adopted. For Love Train animals, their fees also help offset transportation costs. Thank you for your adoption fee!

 

  • Puppies (under 6 months old) – $395
  • Small Breed Adult Dogs (6 months up to 8 years) – $290
  • Medium-Large Breed Adult Dogs (6 months up to 8 years) – $205
  • Senior Dogs (any size, 8 years or older) – $105
  • Kittens (up to 5 months) – $150
  • Cats (5 months up to 12 years) – $115
  • Senior Cats (12 years or older) – $50

Thank you for asking!  We depend upon donations to keep the Love Train going full steam ahead to save more lives. There are several ways to help:

  1. Sponsor a litter of puppies!  For $500, you can help save a family of innocent puppies.  We’ll send you information about the litter you’re sponsoring, and you’ll get to name the puppies! We’ll also send you pictures when the pups get to HSHV and invite you to the Facebook group so that you can potentially connect with the adopters and fosters. To get started, head here.
    Or
  2. Sponsor an entire van full of animals! For $2,500 you can sponsor a Love Train transport which includes a sign on the Love Train, and an opportunity to greet all the puppies upon their arrival, among other benefits! To inquire about sponsoring a Love Train transport, please contact our Development Department at (734) 661-3571, email development@hshv.org or complete this form to begin your lifesaving gift.

First, thank you for adopting!  We’d love to stay connected.  Head to Facebook and join the group “HSHV’s Love Train”.  There, you’ll see other Love Train-ers  – adopters, fosters, partners… and potentially others who know your animal or who know your animal’s sibling!

About The Love Train

The Humane Society of Huron Valley is the only animal holding facility in Washtenaw County. As such, we prioritize and are responsible for housing and providing care to all the strays, as well as the abused and abandoned animals in our immediate community. These animals often require lengthy holding times and behavioral and medical care. (Unfortunately, some cruelty case animals are in our care for years while owners are being prosecuted.)

When we have the capacity, our Love Train program extends a helping hand to other shelters throughout Michigan and beyond. While it’s true that puppy pictures often attract the most attention, the Love Train regularly transports a variety of animals—cats, kittens, bunnies, adult dogs, and even the occasional surprise passenger (like the time a pheasant joined the ride!).

Our transports offer adopters seeking puppies an opportunity to rescue and save a life rather than turning to pet stores or unethical breeders. Because of their small size and quick adoptions, puppies do not take adult kennel space from local or other Michigan dogs in need. They are housed in temporary space not suitable for adults or longer term care, as they are adopted in just a few days.  Their adoption fees also help support animals who require more time and resources before finding their forever homes.

There is a common, well-intended refrain that HSHV should help Detroit dogs instead of taking homeless puppies from the south. However, this is a false equivalence. Not taking puppies would not provide us with any more space for adult dogs. It would only hurt the puppies. Adult dogs can take months to get adopted and require drastically different space, time and behavioral care. Also, any increase in visibility and foot traffic, as we see with Love Train, helps all the animals in our shelter.

Love Train puppies primarily come from the Hardin Animal Relocation and Transition Team (HARTT) in Tennessee, a rescue organization dedicated to transporting animals out of rural areas with low adoption rates. Thanks to HARTT’s unique setup, we can plan puppy transports months in advance. This foresight is critical for making the Love Train a sustainable, long-term solution, as any influx of animals requires increased staff, veterinary care, and an all-hands-on-deck approach.

The Love Train saves puppies who might otherwise face euthanasia, provides adopters with an ethical rescue option, supports the care of harder-to-adopt animals, and does not sacrifice space for local dogs. It’s a win-win-win! Rescue organizations assisting one another is a common practice, and HSHV is proud to support other communities whenever possible.