Recovered from flood, Wheeling animal shelter ready to celebrate reopening

A Wheeling animal shelter forced to close its doors and evacuate more than a hundred cats and dogs after a devastating flood last year will host a grand reopening celebration next week.

Heartland Animal Shelter has been operating outside its facility at 586 Palwaukee Drive for nearly seven months since a water main break June 26 caused the entire building to flood with more than 2⅟₂ feet of water.

The organization relocated to a temporary facility at the Chicago Executive Airport, donated by Signature Aviation, then a location in Wheeling’s Lynn Plaza. Staff and animals moved back into the renovated space on Palwaukee Drive last month.

The public is invited to the reopening celebration, set for 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 16. It will include a ribbon-cutting ceremony, tours of the newly renovated space, opportunities to meet adoptable pets and a hot chocolate bar.

Heartland leaders say that despite the upheaval they never wavered on their mission and rescued more pets in 2024 than 2023. By the end of the year, Heartland had saved 1,195 dogs and cats, and 1,072 animals had found their forever homes, they said.

“The numbers show what we can accomplish when we work together in the face of tragedy,” Executive Director Jenny Schlueter said in an announcement of the grand reopening/ “We are incredibly grateful for the outpouring of support from the community, which made this renovation and our continued lifesaving work possible.”