Midwest Pet Refuge

05/30/2026

Don’t miss it! Chips & trims. Today 10-3.

05/29/2026

Meet Shoestring.

She’s 2 1/2 years old and exactly the kind of cat you don’t always notice right away – quiet, undemanding, just going about her business. But spend a little time with her and you’ll find a sweet, friendly girl who genuinely appreciates the attention. She gets along well with other cats and doesn’t make a fuss about much of anything.

She’s spayed, microchipped, vaccinated, and treated for fleas and worms.

Shoestring came to us after developing a prolapse while living outside. Her vet reached out because the person caring for her couldn’t afford treatment, and no one else stepped up. We did.

If you’d like to give Shoestring a home, visit us at midwestpetrefuge.com/adopt to complete an application.

05/28/2026

Do you have your pet friendly plate? It supports a program that helps lots of people afford to spay and neuter their pets.

Most people in Indiana have NO idea this exists. 👀 - Please share!

Every Pet Friendly Plate helps fund spay/neuter surgeries and lifesaving programs right here in Indiana!

It’s one of the easiest ways to help animals every single day just by driving your car.

And honestly? More people need to know about it.

Please share this post and help spread the word about the Pet Friendly Plate. 🐾💜

05/26/2026

Excellent information.

🐾 Not every dog wants to be touched — and that's okay.

Dogs are not public property, and we should never assume that an unfamiliar (or even familiar) dog is inviting interaction just by being present.

The golden rule: don't approach unknown dogs. Give them space, stay relaxed, look slightly away, and let them come to you.

And even when a dog does approach you, sniffing, standing nearby, or coming close is NOT necessarily an invitation to pat them. Wait for clearer signals — loose, relaxed body language, leaning into your leg, gentle eye contact, a nudge, a paw, or a play bow. Those are consent.

Once you have those signals, you can ask their guardian if it's okay to interact. Keep it brief, and pause to check if they want to continue.

🚫 Avoid: patting on the head, pushing your hand in their face, hugging, or overwhelming them with too many people or too much intensity.

⚠️ Signs a dog is uncomfortable: lip licking, yawning, looking away, moving away, ears pinned back, tail tucked, whale eye (whites of the eyes showing) — and of course snapping or growling, which is an immediate request for more space.

This applies to children too — teaching kids that unknown dogs are not to be approached is one of the most important lessons we can pass on.

I've put together an infographic breaking all of this down — save it and share it! 👆

And if you want to go deeper, I've also made a video exploring whether people should even have the expectation to pat an unknown dog — and why "asking first" doesn't always make it okay 👇
📺 https://youtu.be/K2D8cOGUhs4

05/26/2026

Eight years ago, a tiny feral kitten came through our doors. She was terrified of everything and everyone. Today, that kitten is eight years old, and she is still with us.
Meet Soot. She is our longest resident, and she deserves a home of her own.
Soot has come a long way from that scared little feral baby. She has figured out that being petted feels amazing, and once you get your hands on her she leans right into it. The trick is getting there. Walk straight at her and she’ll disappear. Walk slowly, don’t make eye contact, give her time to decide you’re okay, and she might just let you in. She’s not broken. She’s just cautious, and she always has been.
She lives in one of our larger free-roam rooms with a catio, cat trees, a cat wheel, and every comfort we can give her. She has a good life here. But eight years in a rescue is a long time, and we think there’s someone out there who would love having a quiet, low-drama companion who shows affection on her own terms.
What Soot needs:
• A calm, patient household
• No young or loud children
• Dogs are okay if they’re gentle and mellow
• Other cats are fine, she’s never been a troublemaker
She is FIV positive, which sounds scarier than it is. FIV is only transmitted through deep bite wounds, which is not Soot’s style at all. Cats with FIV live long, healthy lives with normal care. It is not a reason to pass her by.
She is spayed, vaccinated, microchipped, and has been here long enough to earn a home of her own.
If you have ever wanted a cat who may eventually curl up near you and quietly make your whole day, Soot might be your girl. To start the process, complete an adoption application at www.midwestpetrefuge.com/adopt.

05/26/2026

Chips & Trims this Saturday, May 30 from 10-3.

601 N Charles St. Portland, IN

Microchips $20
Nail Trims $5 - $10 (depending on size and difficulty)

Please enter at the South door.
NO EARLY ADMITTANCE!

No appointments, it's first come first serve.

Please leash all dogs and crate all cats.
Please give other pets their space.
There are caged cats, rabbits, etc. in the waiting area. It is a pet rescue, so this is unavoidable.
If your dog is overly rowdy around other animals, you can come in alone to check in, then bring the dog straight in once it is your turn.

Unfortunately, we cannot do overly aggressive pets.

All proceeds go to help our adoptable pets.

We do this every 6-8 weeks.

05/22/2026

Blondie wants to remind you that tonight is Fourth Friday, so our rescue/ bookstore is open until 10 pm! She's expecting lots of pets and definitely some treats.
Don't keep her waiting!

05/20/2026

It’s kitten season, and we are drowning.

Today alone, we took in five cats and kittens: Cayenne, the injured orange kitten we posted about earlier (broken pelvis, needs rest and time to heal), a tiny dark tabby female kitten found at CVS after falling from under a car, a small buff female kitten who was homeless, a tiny long-haired calico found as a stray, and an adult male stray snowshoe who tested positive for feline leukemia.

We currently have over 160 cats in the building and 40 more in foster homes. We are getting multiple calls every single day - litters, strays, owner surrenders.
Adoptions are down.
Kittens are up.
Today we turned away several bottle babies (which would feel horribly guilty for, but we don’t have enough fosters), a mom with kittens, a mom and dad with kittens, several cats left behind by people who passed away, and the stray we posted about earlier today who didn’t have a chip.

This kitten season, we’ve been cussed out, hung up on, guilt tripped, and had animals threatened with harm because we couldn’t say yes.

None of us are paid. We are all volunteers. We don’t receive any of the county’s animal care funding.
We do this because we love these animals. But we cannot fix a community-wide problem by ourselves.

If you can foster, adopt, volunteer, donate, or help with vet costs — we need you right now. Applications and donations can be done at www.midwestpetrefuge.com

If your cat isn’t spayed/ neutered, please get them done ASAP. That is the only thing that will help this over population problem.