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‘No one shows up better’: Wheeling animal shelter celebrates its reopening

Months after a flood filled it with 2½ feet of water and displaced more than 100 animals, Heartland Animal Shelter in Wheeling celebrated its grand reopening Sunday.

In the months since the June 26 flood, the facility at 586 Palwaukee Drive underwent approximately $500,000 in renovations needed to restore it as a home for abandoned cats and dogs.

Improvements included a wall studded with globes — porthole-like windows enabling visitors to view potential pets.

“We wanted to create a design feature in the lobby that would be appealing to people when they came in,” Executive Director Jenny Schlueter said. “It’s less anxiety-producing for the animals to see who is coming into their space.”

Branzino gets a head scratch from volunteer Eileen McCarthy during a reopening ceremony Sunday at the Heartland Animal Shelter in Wheeling. The shelter was closed for months after a water main break flooded the facility and forced the relocation of more than a hundred cats and dogs. Ryan Rayburn for the Daily Herald

Outside the building sat a reminder of the flood — the remains of the pipe that burst under the building, pouring thousands of gallons of water into the facility.

The shelter rose to the challenge, relocating to a temporary facility — the “Heartland Hangar” — donated by Signature Aviation at Chicago Executive Airport. The shelter then moved to another temporary location at Lynn Plaza in Wheeling.

Despite 2024’s setbacks, Schlueter said Heartland enjoyed its best lifesaving year, rescuing 1,195 dogs and cats. It found homes for 1,072 animals.

During a ribbon-cutting ceremony Sunday, the shelter recognized Waste Management worker Tony Maticic, who was making his early rounds the morning of the flood and peeked inside the closed shelter.

He peered into the cat room and noticed there were many more felines than usual. Then spotting water rushing out the door and collecting in the driveway, Maticic alerted authorities.

“It just broke my heart that I didn’t some here early enough,” Maticic said. “I’m just happy that everything worked out.”

When the fire department opened the door, “it was like a raging river was coming out of the building,” Schlueter said.

Fortunately, no animals were harmed.

A cat climbs on newly installed shelves with observation windows during a reopening ceremony Sunday at Heartland Animal Shelter in Wheeling. Ryan Rayburn for the Daily Herald

Scott Hargadon, vice president of the shelter’s board, said the water fried the electrical outlets and ruined drywall, furniture and even cages.

“We had a complete rebuild,” he said.

Shelter leaders also recognized Greater Wheeling Area Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Michael Putz, who helped find the temporary space at the airport, and contractor Principle Construction Corp., which donated some services to the project.

“Community isn't just about where we live, it's about how we show up for each other,” Putz said. “Let’s be honest, no one shows up better than animal lovers.”

A crowd gathers to take a tour of the renovated Heartland Animal Shelter in Wheeling, which held a reopening celebration Sunday. Ryan Rayburn for the Daily Herald
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