The building is now unusable for the foreseeable future after the shelter said a water main broke under the building before 6:30 a.m. Wednesday, bucking the cement floor and sending feet of water through the facility.
Hundreds of animals were in jeopardy.
"Animals were standing in water all of their beds were wet. My biggest fear was the sick kittens on the bottom cages would have drowned; luckily they didn't," said Executive Director Jenny Schlueter. "It was literally a river. It was about two feet tall, running through all- through every room."
The next few weeks is typically difficult for animal shelters. At Heartland, they said they usually see a large increase of strays around the Fourth of July holiday. Now the shelter needs the public's help to continue to operate after this disaster.
"Our team has come together wonderfully getting animals out. We have all the dogs placed, we have a good portions of the cats placed, maybe about 50 cats more needing foster or placement," Schlueter said.
Community members like Valerie Abruscato saw the call for help on social media and brought what they could to help, while volunteers clean up the murky mud left behind.
"Tey're low on the ground and those cats were probably just hanging on for dear life and hoping somebody would come out and rescue them" she said.
The shelter is now in talks to open a pop-up adoption center at the nearby Chicago Executive airport.
All of the 25 dogs at the shelter have been placed, but Heartland is asking for crates and foster homes for dozens of cats who still need safe housing.
If you can foster a dog, email dogs@heartlandanimalshelter.org. For cats, email cats@heartlandanimalshelter.org.
If you can't foster but still want to help, click here to donate directly to the shelter.