Help Raise Money for the Animals During Shop Your Community Day November 12th in Traverse City

Shop Your Community Day is a yearly event in Traverse City to benefit non-profit organizations. For every purchase that residents make at participating stores, 15% of the sale will be donated to the non-profit organization of their choice. This year’s list of non-profit organizations which involve animals include: AC PAW, Cherryland Humane Society, For Animals, Peace Ranch, Wings of Wonder and the Northern Michigan Association of Western Horse Club.

Here is a flyer for the event which lists participating stores…

Help with Veterinary Bills Available in Traverse City

photo credit: Care Credit FB page

Are you having trouble keeping up with your pets health care or have you run into a big pet expense that you are trying to figure out how to pay for? Did you know that there is a credit card called “Care Credit” that many Traverse City veterinarians accept for services to keep your pet healthy? The cost of annual check-ups, vaccines, dental care and other treatments can get expensive – I know that from personal experience and owning three pets myself.

I am writing this article to make pet owners aware of this option because it’s been such a convenience and has brought me much peace of mind, giving me the ability to take care of my pets when I need to. This is not any sort of paid advertisement, nor have I been asked to write this article by anyone.

Multiple Dogs Injured in Bear Encounters in Montmorency County

Atlanta is commonly referred to as the Elk capital of Michigan, but in the last few days, residents have become concerned with a much different resident of their local wildlife. Recent black bear encounters have resulted in multiple dogs being sent to the vets office over the course of the last week. Local experts say that the main reason these dangerous encounters are happening is because the black bears are getting ready to hibernate. Click here for more on the story.

Diggy Allowed to Stay With Waterford Township Family

A dog that captured the hearts of many is safe and will remain with his family. Diggy the dog had his case dismissed Tuesday and he will stay with his family in Waterford, Michigan. Waterford Township banned pit bulls earlier this year and Dan Tillery thought he would have to give up Diggy or move. Tillery said Diggy is part American bull dog and part pit bull. He would have had to pay $500 and relocate Diggy if a vet determined the dog was majority pit bull and officials upheld the ban. Click here for the rest of the story.

Traverse City’s Jessica Mason Froehlich, First Runner Up at Ms. America Pageant

Jessica at Northport Dog Parade. Photo credit: Jessica Mason’s Ms. Michigan State America 2016 FB page

It was a long night in Brea, California for the 2017 Ms. America Pageant that was live streamed on Saturday, September 3rd from 10:35 p.m. to about 1:30 a.m. ET. The show will be rebroadcast here on Wednesday, September 7th at 10:30 p.m. ET.

Traverse City’s own Jessica Mason Froehlich represented our state and our city as Ms. Michigan State at the competition. Her pageant platform is “Compassion over Reaction: Stop bullying by understanding why it starts.” She advocates for Bully Breeds like Pit Bulls and uses them to connect with children who face bullying issues. 

The Ms. America competition is open to women who are 26 years of age and older who are single, divorced, widowed or married. The women competed in four areas including evening gown, interview, sportswear and the on-stage question. The pageant is unique in that the women have philanthropic platforms and spend their time giving back to others. According to the pageant’s website, this year’s contestants and national titleholders have together contributed to over 2000 volunteer service hours. For the first time in the history of the pageant, all contestants received the Presidential Volunteer Service Award for the documented volunteer hours the contestants accumulated in the past year.

Northern Lower Michigan Saving More Dogs and Cats Than Ever Before

Prince is up for adoption. You can find out more about him here: http://www.walhfmf.org

This year’s Pet Friends PAW Award is going to ALL of the animal rescue groups and animal shelters in Northern Lower Michigan. After looking at this year’s shelter statistics from the Michigan Department of Agriculture (link here), it was clear to see that our region is a low-kill area with it’s sights set on being a no-kill community.

There were a whopping eight organizations in our region who didn’t euthanize any dogs in 2015. Those groups are With a Little Help from My Friends, Charlevoix County Humane Society, Emmet County Stray Center, Manistee County Humane Society/Homeward Bound, Missaukee Humane Society, Roscommon County Animal Control and Great Lakes Humane Society. Many other groups had very low euthanasia rates, with the highest dog euthanasia rates being the Newaygo Animal Shelter at 21.8% and Antrim County Animal Control at 32.2%.

Five organizations didn’t euthanize any cats in 2015. Those groups are With a Little Help From My Friends, Charlevoix County Humane Society, Little Traverse Bay Humane Society, Manistee County Animal Shelter and the Missaukee Humane Society. The highest euthanasia rates for cats were at the Antrim County Animal Control at 32.2% and the Newaygo Animal Shelter at 37.3%.

Hachi’s New Home: Couple Saves Traverse City Dog from Death Row

Hachi darted to each side of a gravel road, his red collar attached to a long leash as he sniffed his new, bucolic surroundings. Nathan and Breona Moore adopted Hachi, a Siberian husky, Thursday afternoon. The couple intervened when they learned the dog was deemed a dangerous animal and slated for destruction. Hachi wasn’t meant to be a city dog, Moore said. He needs a place to roam.

“It just wasn’t fair,” Nathan Moore said as Hachi planted a lick on his cheek. “They need acres and time and exercise.”

Hachi’s former owner, Joseph Jeremy Kinney, 34 of Traverse City, pleaded guilty to having a stray dog on June 15 in 86th District Court. A charge of allowing a dangerous animal to run at large was dismissed. Click here for more on the story.

According to court papers, the new owners of Hachi have to adhere to the following conditions:

1. If Hachi kills another dog or cat, or seriously injures a human, full and complete ownership over him shall immediately be transferred to Grand Traverse County;
2. Owner will notify Grand Traverse County Animal Control if Hachi engages in such behavior, and will notify them of Hachi’s history;
3. If owner determines that Hachi is not suitable for their home or lifestyle, they will not sell or give Hachi away. They agree not to transfer ownership of Hachi to any person or entity other than Grand Traverse County;
4. If Hachi is not suitable for their home or lifestyle, they will immediately notify the person in the court papers and also Grand Traverse County Animal Control;
5. They will take all reasonable precautions to keep Hachi contained either on their property or in the physical control of a capable human.

Dog Swims Miles, Reunited With Owners

A dog from Illinois who was visiting with her family over the weekend has had quite the adventure in northern Michigan. In less than 24 hours, Rylee, a 10-month-old Belgian Malinois went from falling off of a boat and getting lost in Lake Michigan, to thankfully being reunited with her family Monday morning. Rylee’s adventure started in Frankfort Sunday morning, as she and her owners, Ed and Kristin Casas, left the harbor heading toward the Manitou Islands. Click here for more on the story.

Benzie County Sheriff’s Office K9 Program Temporarily Out of Service

The Benzie County Sheriff’s Office K9 program is temporarily out of service after their only K9 had to be taken out of service. K9 Dasty will no longer be in service due to medical reasons. The Sheriff’s Office K9 program will be out of service until they are able to raise the funds to purchase a new dog. If any of the deputies are in need of K9 services, the Sheriff’s Office will rely on mutual aid from surrounding counties. Click here for more on the story.

Eggli Charged with Felony Animal Abuse in Traverse City

Courtney Eggli stood still as a judge read the animal abuse charge that could keep her in prison for up to four years. Eggli is suspected of neglecting more than 10 animals over the course of the summer after Traverse City police first investigated an animal neglect complaint at her home in June, said Grand Traverse County Prosecutor Bob Cooney.

“I think the only reasonable course of action is to escalate the potential penalties here,” he said. Click here for more on the story.

New Center Aims to Give Second Chance to Senior, Hospice Dogs

One northern Michigan woman is helping give a second chance for older dogs by opening a rescue center for senior dogs right in Elk Rapids.

“After seeing the number of them that were out there, I thought these dogs are being euthanized in shelter because nobody wants an old dog,” said Kim Nelson, owner and founder of Silver Muzzle Cottage. So we went ahead and decided to start the senior rescue to help these dogs out.”

Kim Nelson is the powerful force behind Silver Muzzle Cottage, the new center for senior, disabled and hospice dogs which will be opening in just a few months. Click here for more on the story.

Author Pays Tribute to Military Dog Remmy

There’s a void in the office at Dewitt Marine.

Remmy, the affectionate, tennis ball-loving Dutch Shepherd, often joined his owner Doug Davis at work for the more than four years they were together.

“He was quite a dog,” Davis said. “Anybody that met him never forgot him.”

Remmy died just before Christmas 2015, and it’s still tough for Davis to talk about his companion. The 14-year-old wasn’t a typical housepet. He was a retired patrol explosive detection dog credited with saving dozens of lives in Afghanistan, and the third in a line of service dogs Davis grew to love. Click here for more on the story.