The quick thinking and actions of a mother save her puppies' lives!

Often, when people visit Little Traverse Bay Humane Society, they comment about how hard it would be to work here. While our goal is to give every animal a happy ending, some of their stories literally bring tears to our eyes. Such was the day that Sheila and her eight puppies arrived at the shelter.

Prior to arriving at Little Traverse Bay Humane Society, Sheila, a sweet two-year-old Shepherd mix, was pregnant and abandoned in the woods. She gave birth and carried two of her puppies to a nearby road – both still with their little umbilical cords! Fortunately, someone saw her and followed her into the woods to find six more puppies! The family was rescued just in time.

When Sheila came out of the crate of the transport car, we could see the desperation in her eyes - something that became more apparent when she didn't even want to leave her puppies to go outside to go to the bathroom. It was her amazing will to be sure her puppies had a second chance that strengthens our resolve to give each of them just that.

When animals come to our shelter, they are neutered, vaccinated, groomed, trained, exercised and loved unconditionally until a permanent, caring home can be found. The average cost to prepare each animal for adoption is more than $450 – and may be more than $1,000 for animals who have been rescued as a result of hoarding, abuse, neglect and abandonment – situations that are on the rise.

Because our shelter is 100 percent donor funded, our members and fundraisers like Howl at the Moon are crucial to ensuring that every animal who comes through our doors receives exceptional care. For the past 12 years, Howl at the Moon, our biggest annual fundraiser, has been an exciting and fun-filled evening with one goal: To raise essential funds for Little Traverse Bay Humane Society. And this year's event will certainly be an evening to remember!

Howl at the Moon will take place on Thursday, August 23. Guests will enjoy cocktails, hors d'oeuvres, live music and the thrill of bidding on unique auction items at the Harbor Springs airport! Here is just a glimpse of some of the exciting live auction items that will be available at this year’s Howl at the Moon:

A two-night stay in Chicago along with dinner at an exclusive restaurant and an architectural tour along the river

• A trip to the famous Westminster Dog Show
• A special evening/overnight stay at the Headlands, one of six International Dark Sky Parks
• Hors d’oeuvres and cocktails on the Heckenberg’s newly refurbished Trumpy yacht followed by an exclusive dinner catered by Carol Costello

In addition to the auction items, 100 raffle tickets are available for Michigan shaped Adirondackchairs painted by artist, Aaron Kirby, a lead animator for the Shrek movie series, Shark Tale and Gnomeo and Juliet. Tickets are available for $100 each. The winner will be announced at Howl at the Moon on Thursday, August 23.

We believe every animal warrants our best effort and thanks to the generous support of our amazing community of animals lovers, every animal receives just that.  Thanks to our members and fundraisers like Howl at the Moon, we are able to care for the animals who need us the most – like Sheila and her puppies. Until then, as we look into their eyes, we are reminded of why we are here regardless of the day, the weather or the time. We are here to care for them, to heal them and to love them until they go "home."