Companions Animal Center puppies named for Seven Dwarfs await adoption
Seven Hayden puppies named Doc through Sneezy are settling into Companions Animal Center, where adoption demand, community support and a July 3 fundraiser are all in play.
Seven puppies at Companions Animal Center have become the shelter’s newest crowd-pleasers, and staff gave them a name set straight out of a storybook: Doc, Grumpy, Dopey, Happy, Sleepy, Bashful and Sneezy. The mixed-breed litter arrived this week at the Hayden shelter on Atlas Road, all about four months old and roughly 30 to 40 pounds. One is the heaviest, one was nearly asleep in a volunteer’s arms, and others have already stood out as especially affectionate or photogenic.
Their mother is part terrier, part American Staffordshire/retriever and part Labrador mix, while the father is unknown. The owner said the family could no longer keep the mom and her pups, and Companions Animal Center had room to take them in. Development director Vicky Nelson said the puppies have settled in well and are friendly, the kind of detail that usually matters most to people deciding whether to stop by a shelter.
The Seven Dwarfs litter is arriving at a busy time for the nonprofit. Companions Animal Center says it has recorded 583 adoptions so far in 2026, after 1,976 adoptions in 2025, and says it cared for more than 1,400 animals last year alone. The Hayden shelter, formerly known as Kootenai Humane Society, says it has been saving animals since 1979, became a 501(c)(3) in April 1979 and adopted its no-kill philosophy in 2003. It is also 100% community-funded and does not receive tax dollars.
For people watching for a new pet, the shelter’s adoptable dogs and puppies page is updated automatically every 15 minutes, reflecting how quickly animals can move in and out of available status. That pace makes the Seven Dwarfs litter more than a cute headline: it is another test of how fast Kootenai County can turn attention into homes.
Companions Animal Center will also use a free event next month to keep that momentum going. Woofstock, a free outdoor community music festival, is set for Friday, July 3, 2026, from 12 p.m. to 6 p.m. at 10275 N Atlas Rd in Hayden. The event will include live music, vendors, family-friendly activities and a focus on connection and celebration, with shelter staff again using a public gathering to connect animals with the people who may adopt them.
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