AC PAW Celebrates Their 25th Birthday This Year

Animal Rescue Group AC PAW officially celebrated their 25th Birthday on Saturday, January 18th at PetSmart in Traverse City. They had a birthday cake and asked partygoers to bring presents for the cats and dogs in their foster program. In spite of the weather, AC PAW greeted previous adopters, new friends and had three adoptions over the weekend.

Over the past 25 years, they have found homes for more than 12,400 dogs and cats. That’s a big accomplishment for a foster-based animal rescue group with only a small number of cages available at the “cattery” at PetSmart in Traverse City, a place set aside to showcase their adoptable animals.

AC PAW started out with only two people in the beginning, founders June McGrath and Brian Manley. They held within them the key ingredients for an animal rescue to be successful – compassion, motivation, organization and dedication. Saving cats and dogs isn’t easy. In fact, most of the time it’s a very stressful, very unforgiving cause to be involved in. You literally make life and death decisions every day. You have to deal with irresponsible pet owners whose actions often manifest themselves in an animal being abused, neglected or just plain unwanted.

21 Cats, 1 Rabbit Seized from Filthy Traverse City Apartment

Grand Traverse County Animal Control rescued 21 cats and a rabbit from a dirty apartment this week. They seized the animals from a Garfield Township apartment. Inside, officers found animal waste, debris and trash all over the floor. The owners are a 21-year-old woman and 25-year-old man from Traverse City. Click here for the rest of the story.

Silver Muzzle Cottage Works to Become More Than a Rescue

When I got to Silver Muzzle Cottage, I thought I was at the wrong place. Kim had told me she bought a house for her dogs, but I didn’t take her literally. I expected it to look like a typical shelter, not a ranch home with a big porch and a bigger backyard. I had also made a mistake by thinking that Silver Muzzle was already a shelter when in fact, it’s a sanctuary, and for those who don’t know, only shelters and foster-based rescues adopt out dogs. Kim wants to be more than a rescue and is taking all the steps necessary to make it possible for her rescues to get a second chance in a happy home. Click here for the rest of the story.

After 20 years, Humane Society Director Stepping Down; New Leader Announced

Little Traverse Bay Humane Society will begin 2020 with a new executive director, Danielle Blasko. For over 20 years, Deter Racine has been the executive director at Little Traverse Bay Humane Society. And she has created quite an impressive legacy.

In 2001, Racine took LTBHS from its original ramshackle building, on US 31, to its more hospitable digs, on West Conway Road, overseeing the building of the state of the art facility that now houses cats and dogs in need of new families. Click here for the rest of the story.

Finally: Feline Infectious Peritonitis (FIP) is Treatable!

Due to popular request — and some exciting news —  we’re going to start our blog series by talking about Feline Infectious Peritonitis (FIP). Recently, members of the Nine Lives Foundation attended a symposium on FIP at UC Davis, and that is the source of most of the information presented here.  I will also link to other sources of information at the end of this blog. Click here for the rest of the story.