HeARTs Speak

05/27/2026

When your shelter is in the middle of a space crisis, finding the right words can be challenging. This kit is here to help and gives you a range of ways to talk about it so your community stays connected and ready to step up.

If you've seen it before, consider this a reminder. If you aren't familiar, it's definitely a good one to have in your back pocket. !

https://loom.ly/E3yltRc

When space crises strike, we need the community’s support and action to help us save lives. Whatever the inciting cause, the domino effect of space crisis situa

05/22/2026

Congratulations to member of for taking 1st place in the cat category at the International Society of Animal Photographers (ISAP) image competition with photos she took of cats at her local shelter!

05/19/2026

This is why we love our members.... they see things that could easily be overlooked and bring them to our attention.

from Miami recently noticed how smart the birds that hang around the shelter where he photographs dogs are. He saw them grabbing dog treats they found on the ground and then soaking them in water to soften them up before eating them!

05/17/2026

This is teamwork! We think member, Sarah Matula Photography and Humane Society of Lincoln County, Ruidoso, NM nailed it, don't you?!

"It’s kitten season. There are cute kittens, there are pretty kittens… and then there’s Furlock, the tiny tabby with the resting kit face of a Victorian statesman who has seen things.

This is the cat who enters a room and immediately judges your life choices, your outfit, your posture, and your browser history. A face only a mother could love, equal parts Winston Churchill, Grumpy Cat, and “I know what you did…”

Furlock isn’t just a kitten. He’s a presence.
He’s the silent‑judgy prodigy, the master of unimpressed glances, the tiny detective of your personal failings.

05/16/2026

Animals member Kathy Nosch Hicks of Puppy Love Pet Photography is turning her newborn puppy portraits into a coffee table book to fundraise for her local shelter. Because sometimes the best way to help animals is to make something undeniably beautiful. 💕 Wouldn't you love to have a book like this?

05/13/2026

How can you resist falling for this adorable face by member, John Bouma ! Meet 2 yr old Josh ( ), available now at Miami-Dade Animal Services in FL.

05/13/2026

Meet member, and member of our Board of Directors, jill garrett photography! She's clearly having way too much fun!

05/12/2026

membe, Kathy Nosch Hicks was shaped to be the animal lover she is today by her mother 💕.

This morning she posted the following:

In honor of all the wonderful moms who taught us to love and cherish animals, here’s a story about a dog mom with a happy ending just in time for Mother’s Day.

My latest foster was Mrs. Claus, she was on the run for over a year before the local animal control was able to catch her last November. She delivered a litter of puppies safe and sound at a local rescue and they were all adopted before Christmas. Mrs. Claus had a lot of anxiety and destroyed a lot of doors and blinds when left alone! She came to live with me and we worked really hard slowly exposing her to being home alone. She was went for a trial adoption 2 weeks ago and was formally adopted right before Mother’s Day.

It’s bittersweet for me because she was such a good housemate. I don’t often foster adult dogs because I really miss them when they are gone so I take puppies and it’s a nice break when they get adopted! When I foster a litter with mom, I keep the moms after their babies are adopted because they deserve the comfort and stability, but they take a little piece of my heart when they leave.

Here is a photograph of Mrs C and her babies to celebrate Mother’s Day, a day late, but a beautiful story so worth sharing!

05/10/2026

It has become tradition here at HeARTs Speak to share a heartfelt reminder: Adopt the Mothers. 💕

When our Founder Lisa Tatsuko Prince was younger, she adopted her first puppy from the SPCA Westchester. Excited, she brought him straight to her mother, a devoted animal lover if there ever was one. The response was not what she expected.

"Where is the mother?!" her mom asked, barely glancing at the pup. "Still there," Lisa answered, already sensing what was coming. "Go back and get her right now. Don't you realize, all the puppies will find homes, but it's so much harder for the mothers? She's lost every one of her puppies. Imagine how she must be feeling."

And just like that, Lisa was sent back to the shelter to adopt the momma dog. She did. Susie, as she came to be called, lived a long and good life with Lisa's mother and the rest of her beloved menagerie. ❤️

Lisa is who she is today largely because of her mother, an artist with deep reverence for animals and the natural world. She was the ultimate animal lady. 💕✨

Happy Mother's Day, everyone!

04/30/2026

Wherever you are, there’s a shelter nearby full of animals waiting to be chosen.

This Adopt a Shelter Pet Day, consider visiting your local shelter or sharing an adoptable pet. Even one share can change a life. 🐾